


The Butler and the Maid

by kisakarachan



Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: Angst, Butler and maid relationship, Character Death, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, F/M, Family Secrets, First time tagging, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Forbidden Love, Hurt/Comfort, OC Character Death(s), Resurrection, Romance, Secrets
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-29
Updated: 2017-08-29
Packaged: 2018-12-21 05:51:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 17
Words: 46,813
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11937681
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kisakarachan/pseuds/kisakarachan
Summary: Set before (and or instead of) Kuroshitsuji II. Ciel's soul was not stolen (:D), and they're going through to see whether there are any other people responsible for Ciel's parents' death before Sebastian takes his soul.Still as the fake-queen's watchdog, Ciel is greeted by an angel, who tells him she will grant him his heartfelt wish, but he doesn't know what he wants. Until she grants his wish, Anna becomes a maid in the Phantomhive household and promises to protect Ciel, which causes a little tension at first between Sebastian and Anna. But things begin to change when Anna and Sebastian begin to grow attracted to each other. However, Anna holds a secret that may place Ciel in danger, what will happen?Crossposted on fanfiction.net





	1. Angel's Arrival

**Author's Note:**

> First time posting on AO3. This story is completed. Enjoy!!!

“Oi, Sebastian! What’s on my schedule today?” 13-year-old Ciel Phantomhive demanded.

A tall, dark-haired man smiled. Sebastian Michaelis poured a cup of the finest Earl Grey tea and handed it to the young master. “Well, master, you have an appointment today with a young woman by the name of Lady Anna. She should be arriving within the next hour.”

He smiled, sipping at his tea. “Well… then we’ll be sure to give her the full Phantomhive hospitality then, shall we?” he said. “What do we know about Lady Anna?”

“There are absolutely no records of her in the slightest,” Sebastian replied, sensing something strange entering the Phantomhive mansion. “We’ll have to be careful, master.”

Suddenly, there was a brief knock on the door, and the maid Maylene poked her head into the young earl’s room.

“I-I apologize for the intrusion,” she stammered shyly, blushing at the sight of Sebastian, “there is someone by the name of Lady Anna at our door. She said that she had an appointment with you, master, so I let her in. She’s currently in the study.”

Ciel nodded. “I’ll be there soon,” he said, looking at Sebastian. “Well… let’s greet our guest, shall we?”

Sebastian bowed and followed the young earl out of the bedroom, leaving to the study. Obediently, the demon butler opened the door, and Ciel walked in, and a tall slender woman with gorgeous azure eyes and long silver-white hair sat in a chair, dressed in a pale white dress, one leg crossed over the other as she stared out the window overlooking the Phantomhive estate.

“Milady,” Ciel addressed, walking over to her.

“Ah, Earl Phantomhive,” she greeted, standing up to curtsey politely to him as he took her hand and kissed the back of it respectfully. “How are you?”

“Well,” he responded. “I can see you’re well, Milady.”

Respectfully, Sebastian stepped in front of Ciel, and the young earl was surprised as the butler placed himself between Ciel and Anna. “With all due respect, Young Master, please step back.”

“What is the meaning of this, Sebastian?!” he demanded, but Anna smiled.

“I don’t know why you’ve decided to make a Contract with this demon, but I find that he’s very different than several other demons I’ve met,” Anna said, scanning Sebastian over. “May I ask your name?”  

He smiled at her. “My name is Sebastian Michaelis,” he greeted with a deep sweeping bow. “And you?”

“Sebastian, explain yourself of this rudeness to our guest!” Ciel demanded impatiently and confusedly.

“Just Anna will do,” she responded, looking at Sebastian while ignoring Ciel’s comment. “I daresay, you are quite dashing, Sebastian. It is rare for me to meet a well-groomed, handsome demon.”

The demonic butler smiled. “Well… it is an honour to be in the presence of such an elegant angel,” he replied. “What brings you to the human world, and especially in such an attractive form?”

“W-Wait,” Ciel paused, “she’s an angel?!”

Anna nodded. “I am part of a special division of angels that watches over the wishes of humans all over the world, and well…” she explained, “I was ordered to attend to the wishes of a certain earl named Ciel Phantomhive, so explains my being here. Do not fear, I am not like that _other_ angel who had his own ideas of a ‘peaceful world’ through destruction.”

“Pardon my saying,” Sebastian commented, “but it would be _my_ responsibility to fulfill my master’s wishes.”

The elegant angel in human form chuckled, walking to the rest her hand over the window glass. “Well… I was sent here to help Earl Phantomhive, therefore… I request to become something of a maid within this household, so that I may be of… some service to you,” Anna said. “However, my duty is to grant your heartfelt wish, but nevertheless, I will protect you.”

The young 13-year-old earl blinked. “For the time being, I will _half_ -grant your request,” he said, looking at the beautiful woman. “What are your skills?”

“Like all other angels and demons too, I suppose,” she began with a smile, “my skills vary greatly, as I am not actually human, much like your butler there.”

“Very well,” Ciel replied, “then I ask that you go with Sebastian and learn a little about how things are run in Phantomhive manor.”

Sebastian frowned a little. “If I may so point out,” he began, “angels and demons do not tend to get along very well due to our… well… conflicting natures and values.”

Ciel looked at him, his expression unchanging. “Your point being, Sebastian?” he responded, “Do not make me repeat myself.”

He bowed deeply. “As you command, Young Master,” he said, and Anna curtsied, following the butler out.

 

“Well… Sebastian,” Anna began after they were alone in the hall, heading to the kitchen, “I daresay the young earl is quite strict with you.”

He glared back at her with his blood-red eyes. “What are your _true_ intentions of being here?” he demanded suspiciously. “Are you in any way associated with those Reapers?”

“Ha,” she smirked, “not in the slightest. My job is to grant wishes, as well as free lost souls and such duties. What’s a demon like _you_ doing here in the human world? I will not allow you to devour Ciel Phantomhive’s soul.”

“Au contraire,” he replied with a dark smile, “as of the Contract, his soul _does_ belong to me. I just cannot claim it until his revenge has been fulfilled.”

Anna looked at the handsome butler with sad azure eyes. “I know…” she sighed, “I am aware of the Contracts of the demons. I am still trying to figure out if there are any loopholes in said Contract.”

Suddenly, Sebastian whirled around, lifting her chin so her eyes met his directly as he was now dangerously close to her. “I warn you now then, Milady,” he threatened, “do not test my patience. There are secrets to slay even an angel, including devouring their soul.”

“How dare you,” she responded calmly, staring into his deep red eyes before pulling away, “you’d slay an angel? How evil…” Then she sighed. “Well… I suppose your threat is something that cannot be helped. Rest assured, I will not alter Ciel Phantomhive’s Cinematic Records, and I will not cross you as long as you don’t get in my way, and you will not cross me unless I get in your way.”

He smiled darkly at her. “Then we are at a mutual understanding,” he resolved. “Now… let us go. The Young Master would be most unpleased if I do not teach you properly of the rules around here.”

“I’m afraid that tonight it would have to wait,” Anna said. “Tonight is the night of a full moon, thus… I have business I must attend to.”

Sebastian smiled. “Well then… if need be… our training will have to continue tomorrow,” he said. “I also understand the duties that angels perform upon the night of a full moon.”

“Sebastian…” she said softly. “I have heard stories about you, including the aliases you have varied. But just observing you with the young earl has me thinking differently; as it seems that something has changed about you. That boy… he’s changed you, hasn’t he. You seem… altered… somehow… You’ve become more attached to his soul…”

He shrugged simply. “Maybe I have, maybe I haven’t,” he stated, “who knows?”

“Hmmm…” she murmured quietly, rubbing her arm shyly, and Sebastian couldn’t help but glance back at her, silently admiring the faraway look in her eyes. “Well then… I suppose we should put aside our differences and do what’s best for young Ciel Phantomhive. I’m honestly worried about his overall well-being.”

“I will always faithfully stay by my lord’s side,” Sebastian swore. “I will ensure that his wellbeing is good.”

Anna placed a hand on Sebastian’s shoulder, and he turned around. To his surprise, she reached up to give him a gentle kiss on the cheek. His red eyes stared at her in wide shock, and she only smiled at him.

“Well… Sebastian…” she said, “I will look forward to working with you… or even against you.” There was a spark of strong angelic power reflecting in her azure eyes, matching the spark of powerful demon strength within Sebastian’s eyes.

“I look forward to working with you too,” he responded with a sincere smile, feeling his cheek burn where she had kissed him. “Now I will give you a personal tour around the place.”

“Thank you, but I already know my way around Phantomhive manor,” she replied. “If you’d please though, may I be shown the room I shall be staying in?”

He blinked in slight suspicion before bowing gracefully. “Of course, My Lady.”

 

Later that evening, Ciel had Anna fitted for a maid’s outfit, and she was changing in her new room while Sebastian and Ciel waited for her outside the door.

“Are you ready yet, Anna?” Ciel implored impatiently.

The door opened, and Anna appeared before them in a light blue and white maid’s outfit, a white maid’s crown on her head, blending with her silvery white hair. She was wearing a short fanned-out long-sleeved blue dress, and a white fancy apron. She wore high white stockings that reached her mid-thighs, and she wore black shiny shoes. She looked very sexy in the maid costume, but there was something to her that seemed almost… angelic, yet at the same time, very decadent, as the costume hugged against her body tightly.

“Ah… this dress is a little too short,” she complained, peering around at herself. “I think I would like to have it lengthened, if I could, even if it’s just a little. I feel kinda awkward wearing this.”

“You look fine,” Ciel assured. “But if you want, another outfit could be arranged. But there’s nothing wrong with you.”

“In fact, you look quite attractive,” Sebastian added with a chuckle. “I doubt that any maids in all of England would look anything like you.”

She smiled. “Well… I _am_ a maid sent from heaven,” she teased with a wink. “Now… this will probably take some getting used to, however, I don’t believe it should be too much of a problem.”

“Ah,” Ciel sighed, “I’m tired. I’ll retire for the night.”

“As you wish,” Sebastian replied obediently, giving a swift bow, and Anna bowed as well, closing the door behind her as she followed Sebastian and Ciel back to Ciel’s room.

“Is there anything you require, Ciel?” Anna implored as Sebastian put him into bed, removing the eye-patch concealing the proof of the Contract in his eye. “Forgive me, the one thing I will not become accustomed to is to call you my master. As of course, I am only here to grant your heartfelt wish and protect you. I do not _truly_ work for you.”

He sighed, “Whatever. Anyway, can you sing, Anna? Sebastian has told me stories of how angels’ singing voices are enchanting and help put people to sleep to open up their heart’s deepest wish to them.”

“Yes,” Anna responded softly, shooting a quick glance at the butler, “it seems that Sebastian’s been doing his research. But nevertheless, our singing _does_ put assistance in making people sleep, not always necessarily to open up their heart’s deepest wish, but it helps.”

Smiling, she closed her eyes as a soft, pure note escaped her lips, and the notes wove into a haunting melody, and slowly Ciel’s eyes slipped closed as he drifted into easy sleep. To Sebastian, he found the music of her voice beautiful, but the spell woven in her song did not affect him. All he did was close his eyes and listen as he held the candleholder that provided the only light in the room.

As Anna’s song came to a close, she opened her eyes and smiled at the young sleeping Phantomhive.

“Sleep well, Ciel,” she whispered softly, leaning down to brush away a few bangs from his face before planting a light kiss on his forehead. Then she walked out of the room, Sebastian staring after her for a moment before blowing out the candles and following her out.

“That was impressive, Lady Anna,” he commented, watching as she walked back towards her room.

She stopped, but didn’t turn around. “Why do you address me like that, Sebastian?” she implored quietly. “You already know of who I really am; of _what_ I really am. Don’t you hate me for being your rival? Don’t you at least detest me because I am an angel?”

“That does not matter,” he said. “After all… you do not hate me, correct?”

She smirked, turning her head around to glance at him. “Of that, you are correct. I cannot find the heart to hate anyone, no matter how evil they are,” she replied. “Now… you know that I have business to attend to.”

He nodded with a smile. “You are amusing, Lady Anna,” he said. “May I join you tonight?”

“But what if Ciel needs you?” she implored.

“He knows how to call me,” he replied, a demonic glint in his eyes.

“Very well,” she agreed softly. “But please wait, as I need to change from this outfit. I’m afraid dressing like a maid is not proper for the job I am performing tonight.”

“Of course,” he said, following her back to her room.

She went inside and returned out within moments, dressed in a white spaghetti-strap dress that reached just above her ankles, her white-feathered angel wings glowering in the dark, crystal white slippers cradling her feet, and she had a long dark coat in her arms as she walked towards him.

“So this is part of your true form,” he said, scanning her delicate form over.

“Yes,” she responded, and they headed towards the front doors as she folded her wings and wrapped the dark coat around herself. “Let us go.”

 

Anna led Sebastian into a graveyard, but the moment Anna stepped into the graveyard, she couldn’t help but swoon with weakness. She collapsed back, and Sebastian caught her, amused.

“This can’t be helped…” she sighed, mainly to herself, regaining her balance. “An angel is at their weakest when they’re in a graveyard… yet…” She took a deep breath and inhaled the cool night air before exhaling deeply. “I have no choice, as it is part of my duty.”

“I’ve yet to actually see this for myself,” he admitted, looking quite interested.

Walking deeper into the graveyard, Anna let her coat drop, spreading her wings out wide as white feathers dropped from the air, brushing against the cold stones and pavement. She threw back her head, her arms wide, and clean, pure notes were sung from her lips, and Sebastian could see the white transparent souls rising from various graves, sparkles of something supernatural fluttering about as the angel released them from their sorrows.

“Quite elegant…” Sebastian commented while placing a thoughtful hand on his chin. “Well… you’re definitely something else, Lady Anna.”

As the souls vanished into the air, disappearing to where their final resting place was, it seemed like sparkles were falling from the sky as Anna stopped singing, looking up at the moon as her irises flashed with silver and blue sparks, her wings dispersing with a flurry of white feathers as they began to fall from the sky.

“A-Ahhh…” she breathed, teetering for a moment before collapsing backwards, knowing that she’d collide with cold ground as she closed her eyes.

But the cold never came, and she felt warm, strong arms embrace her, and she felt that she was propped up against someone’s shoulder, and she blinked open her eyes to see herself being held by Sebastian, the butler gazing at her with a dark smile on his face.

“My, my,” he began, “that was an amazing feat you just performed, my Lady.”

She blinked several times to clear her dizzying head. “Oh… uh… thanks,” she said as he helped her stand, his hand gentle in hers.

“Now… shall we return to the mansion for you to get a good night’s rest, my Lady?” he suggested with a smile, her hand still rested in his as his other gloved hand was rested around her shoulder.

Silently, she nodded, pulling away from Sebastian as she took a step towards the exit before collapsing with a heavy sigh, and Sebastian caught her under her arms, a smile still on his face. Easily he swept her up bridal-style, and his smile widened as he stared at her calm, sleeping face. The feathers had vanished all around them, and the night was peacefully quiet, the wind playing with Anna and Sebastian’s hair.  Sebastian picked up her coat and draped it over her like a blanket.

“Sleep well, Lady Anna,” he whispered gently, holding her close against his chest as her cheek pressed against his shoulder as he leaped out of the graveyard, with no traces that the angel and demon were ever there.


	2. The Blood Bond

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sebastian and Anna decide to make a pact...

“W-Where am I?” Anna murmured, blinking half-open her eyes, and finding herself back in her room in the Phantomhive mansion, light beginning to pour in from the slightly-open curtains as it was just a few hours after dawn.  She felt a weak pulsing headache in her temple, and she heard a soft chuckle beside her.

Turning her head slightly, she saw Sebastian sitting on her bedside, watching her.

“Good morning, Lady Anna,” he greeted softly.

Instantly this set her alert, and she shot upright, instantly regretting it as she felt nauseous and slumped back towards her pillow, but Sebastian’s hand caught her back, gently setting her down.

He chuckled. “Easy, My Lady,” he said. “You fell unconscious last night after the ritual.”

“What are you doing here?” she demanded in a sigh, resting her arm over her eyes.

“Well… my room _is_ right next to yours,” he began with a chuckle.

 _“Anna? Anna!”_ a male voice barked, and Sebastian looked under the bed, finding a white cat with golden eyes glaring at him.

What was strangely particular about this mysterious cat was that there was a pair of small white wings on its back.

“What is it?” Anna groaned, seeming unsurprised by the talking cat.

The white tom hissed at Sebastian, leaping out at him with claws outstretched, but Sebastian dodged without much effort.

 _“You have a demon in your room,”_ the cat hissed.

Anna raised her arm and glared at the cat as he floated above them. “ _Yes_ , Fang, _obviously_ ,” she retorted stiffly. “I have a demon in my room. Now calm down.”

Sebastian gazed at the cat intently, as if nothing else in the world mattered to him anymore.

“Fang, this is Sebastian Michaelis, Ciel Phantomhive’s demon butler,” Anna introduced. “Sebastian, this is my best friend, pet, and partner, Fangorn Angelista, but I call him ‘Fang’ for short.”

“Wonderful white hair,” he murmured, “a pelt that looks so soft. An allure that could even be called sinful.”

Fang looked at Anna, golden eyes confused and wary. _“Is something wrong with this demon?”_ he implored her.

“I think he really loves cats,” she commented quietly, “luckily, Ciel Phantomhive won’t be allergic to you due to you not being a _normal_ cat.” Tilting her head to look at the demon, she addressed quietly, “Um… Sebastian?”

He blinked, looking at her. “Ah, sorry,” he apologized, “greetings, Fang.” He looked at Anna. “Well… how are you feeling today, Lady Anna?”

“Well…” she sighed, “aside from the slight pulsing in my head, I think I’ll be fine in a moment.”

“Ah yes,” he said, gesturing to the white maid’s outfit hanging on the dresser, different than the light blue one that she had the day previously, “I think this may be more to your liking. Otherwise I’ve coordinated a white butler’s outfit for you that I’ve already hung inside your dresser. You may find it better for working with such a master as mine.”

She chuckled, slowly sitting up as Fang flew down to curl up on her lap, and she stroked his fur, causing him to purr.

“May I?” Sebastian inquired, looking at Fang.

The white cat flicked his tail, gazing up at the expectant Anna before meeting Sebastian’s red eyes with his own. _“Very well,”_ he permitted, allowing Sebastian to kindly pick him up and lay him on his own lap, scratching Fang behind the ears, causing him to purr loudly. _“Ahhh… that feels good,”_ he purred.

“Well… it seems like you two are getting along pretty well,” Anna said, carefully swinging her legs out of bed, shakily standing up. “Oh my,” she murmured, trying to maintain her balance, and Sebastian stood up, ready to catch her if she fell, but she maintained her balance well. “By the way, why are you here, Sebastian? Shouldn’t you be tending to Ciel?”

 _“Not to mention how_ long _have you been here?”_ Fang implored, glancing up at the butler. _“I was sleeping peacefully when I was awoken by the sound of two voices.”_

Sebastian smiled darkly at Anna. “I’ve been watching over you for the past hour,” he told her simply. “I thought that the company would help you rest easier. The Young Master does not wake up until a few hours from now. Speaking of, you look heavenly while you sleep.”

She blushed, turning away as she headed to the dresser, removing the maid outfit and looking it over, noticing the delicate hand-stitches.

“I hope it is to your liking,” Sebastian said. “I thought you would appreciate it better if your outfit was pure white like an angel’s wings.”

Realizing what he said and had said before, Anna turned to him. “ _You_ sewed this?” she demanded in awe.

He nodded with a smile. “The Young Master told me to take care of you and help you adjust to the Phantomhive mansion,” he told her. “Therefore, I thought I’d have an outfit more to your style, as well as something similar to my own, so wear whatever you feel fits you, and do things at your own pace.”

She laughed, the sound light and cheerful. “Thanks, Sebastian,” she said. “I appreciate it. Fang, you already know the area of the Phantomhive mansion, correct?”

The white cat nodded, still being held by Sebastian before floating out of his arms, flying over to her.

 _“Are you sure we can trust this demon?”_ he whispered quietly to her.

Anna smiled. “For now, Fang,” she murmured to the cat, though her gaze was directed at Sebastian. “I trust his personal intentions of gaining Ciel Phantomhive’s soul. Now don’t be rude and address him by his name when you speak to him. At _least_ give him a fair chance.”

Fang’s tail twitch, looking at Anna expectantly. _“If you insist,”_ he sighed, _“I don’t trust his intentions, but I trust_ you _, Anna.”_

She  smiled at him, patting him on the head. “Now you better get down and act like a _real_ cat,” she ordered, “I’ll get changed, clean myself up a bit, then we’ll head over to the kitchen and start making breakfast for Ciel. Maybe I’ll get you some milk too, Fang. Maybe _that’ll_ cheer up your dreary mood today.”

Sebastian smiled at her as she left the room, disappearing into the bathroom where the wash bin was next door. Fang landed on the carpet on his pink paws, and twitched his tail with irritation.

“Is there something the matter, Fang?” the butler implored curiously.

The cat gazed up at him. _“Forgive me if I can’t completely trust a demon yet, Sebastian,”_ he hissed acidly. _“Though Anna seems to be fine around you, don’t think you can win me over so easily.”_

Sebastian chuckled. “If that is what you wish,” he replied, “so be it. So long as you don’t get in my or my master’s way, then you should know that this demon means no harm to you nor Lady Anna.”

Fang’s narrowed expression seemed unchanged, pacing back and forth on the carpet impatiently.

Not too long afterwards, Anna returned to her bedroom, dressed in the new maid’s outfit that Sebastian had personally sewn for her, looking quite angelic, the outfit matching well with her silver-white hair. The butler watched her thoughtfully.

“Hmmm… not bad,” he murmured. “Just like I imagined it would look.”

Anna flushed, twirling around to show the outfit from all sides before looking over herself. “Well,” she said. “Let’s get going. I’m sure that Ciel won’t appreciate the fact that we’re late.”

 

As they arrived in the kitchen, Sebastian removed his butler’s coat and hung it up, folding up his sleeves. In the meanwhile, Anna set up a bowl of lukewarm milk on the floor for Fang, and the cat lapped it up happily. Then she folded back her sleeves and looked at Sebastian as he took out the flour.

“So… what are we making this morning for the Young Master?” she implored.

“Poached salmon with a side of mint salad. Scones and French pastries will be prepared as an accompaniment. Earl Grey would be the perfect tea to match,” he explained simply, pouring out the flour into a bowl.

Anna nodded. “Sounds good,” she responded, heading over to take the bowl of flour from him. He looked at her, and she smiled. “Leave the pastry-making to me,” she assured. “You can poach the salmon and make the mint salad. You can rely on me to make scrumptious pastries that I’m sure Ciel would enjoy.”

“Very well,” he said. “I’m interested in tasting the cuisine of an angel.”

She glanced at him over her shoulder while stirring in various ingredients into the bowl. “And _I’m_ interested in tasting the cuisine of a demon,” she countered, and he smiled.

“As you wish, My Lady,” he said with a smile and a bow. “Speaking of… I think it is important that we can keep in close contact at all times. Would you like to make a contract with me?”

Immediately, Fang sprung in front of Anna protectively, fangs barred as he unsheathed his claws. _“Never would an angel make a Contract with a demon!”_ he hissed.

“Easy, Fang,” Anna chided, “you’re going to make a mess. You know I wouldn’t make a Contract with a demon.” There was a distant look in her eyes as she added softly, “There isn’t anything I want…”

“Rest assured,” Sebastian explained calmly, taking mental note of the longing reflecting in her eyes. “It’s not _that_ kind of a Contract that you’re thinking of; it’s not the Contract that I currently have with the Young Master. It’s called a Blood Contract. All I need is one drop of blood from you, Lady Anna, and no matter where you are in this world, I will be able to find you, and you will be able to find me. This will be handy when it comes to what our Young Master constantly deals with.”

“Ah yes,” Anna said, “the trusty Blood Contract. I’ve read about that before. I’ve heard that the two people under the Blood Contract can also contact each other through telepathy, no matter how far the distance.”

 _“Don’t do it, Anna,”_ Fang hissed. _“It may be a trap for all we know!”_

Anna stared into the bowl as she was stirring it intensely as it formed into dough. Then she put the bowl down, the whisk still in it. She looked at Sebastian. “Very well,” she determined, her voice unwavering.

 _“Anna!”_ Fang hissed in surprise and frustration. _“I won’t allow you to do this!”_

She smiled at him sadly. “It’s alright,” she assured, walking over to Sebastian. “Since the instigator of this contract is Sebastian, the person on the other side of this contract, meaning _me_ , can break this contract anytime. However, the instigator himself cannot. Isn’t that right, Sebastian?”

He smiled. “You are quite knowledgeable,” he commented. “I see you’ve done your research. But yes, you are correct.”

Anna looked at Fang, sadness reflecting in her azure eyes. “In any case, this Blood Contract should help you find Sebastian or Ciel if something should happen to me Fang,” she told the cat softly, “considering that _you_ yourself have a special bond with me.”

The demon butler looked at her in curiosity. “Why should something happen to you?” he queried.

She looked at him. “You must’ve heard that eating the soul of an angel is something only very lucky demons are able to accomplish,” she began. “I’m being hunted by various demons for my soul. I know it may seem to cause unnecessary hardships for young Ciel Phantomhive; however, these demons hunting me have to do with some of the strange occurrences happening in London recently. Therefore… I would be something of bait.”

 _“Anna, don’t do this,_ please _, I’m begging you,”_ Fang pleaded desperately. _“You know Michael won’t take well to this.”_

“I have to,” she replied. “We’ll worry about Michael later. Right now… this is for the better.”

“Are you ready?” Sebastian implored gently, staring into her eyes deeply as he held one of her hands in both of his, flashing a knife.

“Yes,” she responded calmly, meeting his cool ruby gaze with a kind one. “Just… one question before we start. Will you be okay with tying yourself to an angel for possibly all eternity?”

He smiled. “Who knows?” he replied simply. “How about you; are you okay with tying yourself to a demon?”

Anna looked at Fang. “Well… I guess I’m going to be finding out, won’t I?” she retorted. “And in any case, I can just break our contract anytime I want to.”

Sebastian nodded in agreement. “Ah, one more thing,” he said, “Please don’t bleed on anything. I don’t think the Young Master would appreciate blood in his meal.” When she nodded without a word, he smiled. “Then… let the Contract be made.”

Lifting her hand up, he smoothly drew the knife across her finger, and blood blossomed from the wound, the drop of scarlet sitting on her finger. She silently winced with the quick pain and Sebastian gently lifted her hand to his lips, putting her finger in his mouth as he sucked on the blood, his eyes turning into their demonic glowing pupils as a Blood Contract was beginning to come together, and Anna could feel a new sensation rise in her; the new blood bond forming between her and Sebastian.

 _“Anna…”_ Fang growled. Though the cat was strongly against this, the feline knew that he could do little to stop her.

As Sebastian pulled her finger from his lips, he closed his eyes. When they reopened, his eyes had returned normal again, and Anna’s small wound had already healed over. Without a word, Sebastian drew the knife over his own finger and offered it out to Anna, who gently placed his finger in her mouth, tasting the blood of the demon before withdrawing his unscathed finger.

“Now… to seal this new Blood Contract,” Sebastian said, drawing her close as he wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her against him as his lips brushed hers, the remnants of their blood mixing. To Anna, Sebastian’s lips tasted like a sweet poison, drawing her deeper into what may have been a trap.

Both of them closed their eyes as a magical circle of red and gold bonds glowed under them, sealing the Blood Contract as they slowly pulled away, Sebastian smiling at her.

“There, that wasn’t so bad now, was it?” he teased, and she pulled away.

“No,” she said. “Aside from kissing a demon and drinking his blood, that wasn’t too bad.”

He chuckled, “Now… let us continue with making breakfast for the Young Master.”

 _“Are you sure you’re okay, Anna?”_ Fang inquired worriedly, his tail twitching with concern.

She nodded with a smile, washing her hands before beginning to work on the dough while Sebastian worked on the salad and the fish. In the meanwhile, Fang leaped back down onto the ground and padded back towards his milk, swishing his tail back and forth as he watched them work.

 

Not too long afterwards, both of them had finished their respective jobs and had placed the foods into the ovens and pot, and Anna picked up a small fish and tossed it over to Fang’s empty bowl.

“Eat up,” she told him. “We’re going to have a long day ahead of us.”

The cat ravished his meal quickly, and Sebastian looked at Anna while wiping his hands on a cloth.

“I thought that angels were vegetarians,” he said.

She shook her head with a smile. “We are also omnivores, like the rest of you,” she told him, “Though I’ll admit that I’m more vegetarian. But our situations are very different. Unlike demons, we angels need to sleep. We get tired too. But luckily we only need one or two hours of sleep, not six to eight hours like humans do. But we _do_ enjoy sleeping longer at times.”

“I’m not surprised,” he agreed, “especially with all of the things you need to tend to all over the world. I myself enjoy sleep as a luxury.”  

“So… is there anything that needs to be done in the kitchen while we wait for the food to cook?” Anna implored.

Sebastian looked at her sternly. “May you inform me the _real_ reason of why you are here?” he demanded, his ruby eyes narrowing at her.

She twisted her gaze away as Fang looked at her, swishing his tail.

 _“I’d like to know that too,”_ the cat agreed. _“You’ve not spoken a word to me of why we are to take care of the young Earl Ciel Phantomhive.”_

“I made a promise to fulfill a man’s wish almost four years previously before he died,” Anna said quietly. “He once saved me when I was being attacked by a group of men by distracting their attention away from me and getting me to safety. I was grateful, and I watched over him from afar ever since. When he was dying, I appeared before him and asked for his wish as a thank you. He only asked for one thing: that his only son Ciel Phantomhive be well taken care of.”

 _“Who was the man that saved you?”_ Fang inquired.

“Need you still ask?” Sebastian said. “It is obvious.”

Anna nodded. “The late earl and Ciel’s father: Vincent Phantomhive.”


	3. Old Foes

Sebastian went to wake Ciel up while Anna set up the dining room for breakfast.

“Wake up, Young Master,” Sebastian said, pulling open the curtains and tying them up.

The young Phantomhive stirred before blinking open his eyes, the mark of the Contract shining in his right eye.

“Sebastian…” he murmured. “Where’s Anna?”

“Making the final touches to breakfast this morning,” the butler responded. “Today’s breakfast consists of poached salmon with mint salad, and there is an excellent assortment of French pastries for you to choose from.”

Ciel sat up in bed and Sebastian picked up his eye patch, tying it over his Contracted eye.

“So did she help you make breakfast this morning?” Ciel implored.

Sebastian nodded. “Yes,” he answered before getting the young earl dressed for the day. “She’s adjusting well to the surroundings, and the other servants seem to like her; as expected for such a charming angel.”

“So what’s my schedule for today?” Ciel sighed as he adjusted his green jacket.

“Nothing of major importance,” he answered. “At five o’clock this evening you have a visit from Professor Maxmillion, otherwise there is nothing particular planned today.”

Ciel glared at the butler. “Well… I suppose _you_ have a plan for today then…” he guessed.

There was a knock at the door, and Anna opened the door, a tray perfectly balanced in one hand, a single letter sitting on the silver tray.

“Good morning, Ciel,” she greeted softly. “How are you feeling?”

“Good,” he responded with a sigh. “What is it?”

She walked over to him and offered him the letter upon the tray, the royal stamp of Queen Victoria on the wax sealing the letter. “This just came in for you,” she informed him. “The servant delivering it said that it was urgent.”

Ciel sighed, “I understand. Sebastian?”

“Of course, Young Master,” he responded automatically, handing him a letter opener, and swiftly Ciel cut through the wax, unfolding the letter to read it through as both angel and demon remained silent.

After he finished, Ciel sighed, refolding the letter. “Well… it seems that Her Majesty has asked that we find a certain ‘missing person’ who disappeared just a few days ago,” he explained, “Lord Gareth Druton’s son Anthony Druton, was reported missing a few days ago from the Druton Estate. It appears that the people behind this may have something to do with Lord Druton’s business.”

“Oh my…” Anna breathed. “What does Lord Druton do?”

“The Druton’s take care of pharmaceutical medicines,” Sebastian answered. “But there have been rumours that he also creates powerful drugs and sells them underground. Perhaps there was a disagreement during one of his deals, and his son was kidnapped as a result.”

“Perhaps,” Ciel agreed. “We’ll have to further dig into this. I recall an invitation to a party that he is hosting in a week’s time.”

His butler bowed. “Yes, Young Master,” he said, “fortunately, you have yet to return a response.”

“But I find it rather strange,” Anna commented, “why would he hold a party when his one and only son is missing? Something tells me that this isn’t just coincidence.”

“Yes,” Ciel stated. “Sebastian, send a reply back to Lord Druton that we accept his invitation, and also… I’m going to need dance lessons, so call one of the ladies and arrange a lesson.”

Anna smiled. “Well… I don’t think that will be necessary, Sebastian,” she told him. “If you want dance lessons, Ciel, I can provide perfect help for that. There’s no need for you to ask one of the madams to help.”

“You can dance, Anna?” he implored curiously.

She made a fine curtsy to him. “Of course,” she answered. “I’ve learned to dance all styles of dance. I’ve learned a lot of things throughout time as an angel, therefore, they come to be useful after a while. But in any case… you should have breakfast soon, Ciel, otherwise it may get cold.”

Sebastian sighed, “And that would be such a waste.”

“Very well,” Ciel said. “Let’s go.”

 

In the dining room, as Sebastian made the tea, Anna brought in the meal for the Young Master. Gently setting down the plate of poached salmon and mint salad in front of him, she stepped back.

“Hmm…” Anna murmured, glancing out the window into the sky as she felt something pulse within her heart. “Something’s not right out there… Ciel, you’re going to have to excuse me.”

Without warning, Fang padded out into the dining room, and looked at Ciel, lowering his head.

 _“Greetings, Ciel Phantomhive,”_ he greeted.

Ciel blinked. “Sebastian, why is there a _cat_ in this house?!” he demanded in rising fury.

“Easy,” Anna chided softly. “It’s alright, Ciel. This is my partner, pet, and dear friend Fang. Don’t worry, your allergies won’t react to him.” She looked at her cat. “Come on, let’s go.”

“Wait,” he said. “Sebastian and I will go with you, _after_ breakfast.”

She hesitated, then she shook her head. “I can’t let you do that,” she said, “this will be dangerous, and I can’t put you in that kind of danger.”

 _“She’s right,”_ Fang agreed.

“No, it’s an order,” Ciel said as Sebastian set a cup of tea in front of him. “We’re going with you.”

Anna smirked grimly. “You can’t order me like you do Sebastian,” she hissed softly before stopping herself, twisting her gaze away. “Never mind…” she murmured, walking away. “I’ll be heading out now. There’s something I need to check out. I will return as soon as I can.”

In his anger, Ciel stood up, slamming his hands down on the table. “Sebastian, restrain her!” he demanded.

In a quick moment, Sebastian had grabbed the angel against him, restraining both of her arms and she glanced at the young earl.

 _“Anna!”_ Fang hissed angrily, claws exposed.

“Is _this_ the Phantomhive hospitality for a guest?” she implored calmly, not bothering to struggle against the demon’s hold.

“Of course not,” Ciel replied calmly. “However, I cannot allow you to just depart like that.”

Anna sighed, looking at her angry feline. “It’s alright, Fang,” she assured. “Let them come with us afterwards. It’s not like I have any choice.”

Fang seemed to relax, maintaining his close distance as he lay down on the carpet, watching Ciel and Sebastian warily. _“If you say so, Anna,”_ he replied uncertainly.

Sebastian restrained Anna for the duration of the meal, and Anna closed her eyes and concentrated on what was going on within the city, Fang strengthening her scanning powers.

Suddenly, something powerful beat within Anna’s chest, and the world swerved around her before she collapsed in Sebastian’s hold.

 _“Anna!”_ Fang cried, leaping over to her.

“Anna!” Ciel exclaimed, but she didn’t respond, her heart beating twice as fast as something strange seemed to be attacking her with a burning fire.

“No…” she whispered softly, and Sebastian had already released her, holding her against him.

Clutching a hand against her chest, she pulled away from Sebastian before stammering towards the window before it broke, and Anna leaped out, white feathers falling from the sky as her wings were spread.

 _“Anna!”_ Fang screamed, leaping out of the window after her.

Immediately, Ciel and Sebastian ran to the window, and without warning Anna was beat down out of the sky.

“NO!” Anna screamed, and time stopped within the mansion except for Ciel, Sebastian, Anna, Fang, and the intruder.

As Anna’s body slammed against the ground, there was a glint of steel before Anna’s painful cry pierced the air as red stained Anna’s white clothes.  A sword was pierced into her side, and the one at the end holding the sword was a familiar angel to both Ciel and Sebastian.

 _“Anna!”_ Fang cried, hissing at the opposing angel.

“Ash!” Ciel hissed in fury, recalling the fallen angel who tried to destroy all of London in a great fire. “I thought you were dead!”

Sebastian looked curious. “I was sure I killed him,” he said, scarily calm.

As Ash twisted the blade deeper into Anna, she let out a bitter cry before pulling it out with a hand, her wound bleeding heavily as she shakily stood up, a hand over her wound.

 _“Anna!”_ Fang barked.

“It’s okay,” she breathed, “Fang. Don’t worry about me.”

 _“Anna…”_ the cat murmured, deep in personal conflict.

“Why are you… a fallen angel… what are you?” Anna breathed painfully.

“I am not the fallen one,” he responded, glaring at her. “Why do you go through so much trouble to save these foolish humans?”

She smiled weakly, a sword flashing in her hand, made of light. “Because humankind is a beautiful thing…” she murmured, and she withdrew her hand from her wound, focusing onto her sword. “They can have so many emotions, and their wishes, some of them so pure. Though it may be true that there are many bad humans in this world, there is still so much good.”

As blood streamed from her wound, she poised her blade for battle, and as she took off into flight, Ash flew at her, sword poised to kill.

 _“Anna!”_ Fang barked, his wings on his back growing larger.

“No, Fang!” she shouted, “Now’s not the time!”

The angelic cat stopped his transformation, and leapt at Ash with sharp claws.

Sebastian looked at Ciel. “Young Master, what are your orders?” he implored calmly.

Ciel pulled off his eye patch, the seal of the Contract glowing in his eye. “Sebastian, this is my order!” he declared sternly, “Help her!”

Sebastian placed a hand over his chest, bowing. “Yes, My Lord,” he responded, and immediately leaped into the midst of the two battling angels, silver dinner knives drawn as he threw them at Ash accurately, making sure to avoid hitting Anna.

“ _You!_ ” Ash hissed at Sebastian as he dodged the dinner knives. “You ruined everything!”

“Sebastian!” Anna shouted, “Stay outta this!”

“I will not give up until you are dead, Anna!” Ash swore angrily as he stabbed his sword at her.

Quickly, Sebastian made a quick leap to snatch Anna before she was critically injured, and Fang scratched Ash on the cheek, distracting him momentarily.

“Are you okay?” Sebastian implored her quickly, stroking her slightly bloodied white wings, but he noticed that there was a dark flare in her eyes of a fire burning within her heart that seemed to weaken her.

“Give her to me!” Ash screamed at Sebastian, and Anna looked at Ash as she leapt from Sebastian’s arms, leaping to grab Ash around the neck as his sword pierced through her chest.

“You fool…” Anna growled at him, blood trailing from the corner of her lips as her head fell on his shoulder as her hand dropped from his neck, a small golden star overlapping a circle, a sun, and a crescent moon marked on the side of his throat now. “You will never win…”

 _“Anna!”_ Fang screamed before hissing under his breath, _“I have no other choice …”_

His wings expanding, they folded around himself before transforming into a large white winged panther, sharp claws extended, and his eyes were a sharp golden onyx color.

“You witch!” Ash howled furiously, about to tear his sword from her body, but Sebastian snatched her body cleanly off his blade, her head lolling limply on the butler’s shoulder as Fang lunged at Ash, his claws ripping through some of his white feathers, and the fallen angel howled in agony.

“I’ll be sure to finish you off next time!” he swore.

Shaking off Fang, Ash rose up into the air, bloodied from both Anna’s blood and his own, and as he flew away, Sebastian threw several knives after him, but Ash dodged them before vanishing.

Fang went to Anna’s side, and Sebastian looked down at the wounded angel, analyzing the severity of her wounds. White feathers fell from her wings.

 _“Anna!”_ the panther exclaimed, and very gently Sebastian placed her on the ground, careful not to hurt her further while Ciel ran over to them.

Without warning, there was a flash of light in the sky before another winged angel flew down from the sky, landing swiftly nearby the group. His messy silver hair was short, and his dark golden eyes looked worried. He was near the same height as Sebastian, and he wore a simple white suit without a tie and the first two buttons of his shirt undone.

“Anna!” he exclaimed, running over to her side, folding his wings behind him as he kneeled down next to her dying body.

 _“Michael!”_ Fang exclaimed. _“What are you doing here?!”_

Checking her pulse, the angel inspected her wounds as he answered, “Anna branded someone, and it alerted all of the angels in the division, and I didn’t hesitate to check it out after seeing that it was Anna’s own unique brand. What happened? Why is there a demon here? Who’s this kid?”

“I’m not a kid!” Ciel barked back.

 _“Anna was attacked by an angel that was known to be dead,”_ Fang began as he transformed back into his cat form, _“Ash. He tried to kill her, and this child, Earl Ciel Phantomhive, by the Contract he made with the demon Sebastian Michaelis, ordered Sebastian to help. Both of us tried to help Anna, but she risked her own safety to brand Ash before he left.”_

Michael’s hands clenched as he looked at Ciel. “Is there anywhere private where I can take care of her?” he demanded.

“Yes,” Ciel responded, “her room. Sebastian, take them there.”

He bowed. “Understood,” he said, and Michael lifted Anna’s limp body into his arms, her wings motionless behind her.

 

Quickly, Sebastian led the angels and Fang to Anna’s room, where Michael laid her dying body onto the bed, Fang hovering above them.

 _“Will she be okay, Michael?”_ Fang implored worriedly.

Placing his hands over her wound, Michael’s palms began to glow with a soft blue light, and Anna’s wounds slowly began to heal, but at a terribly slow pace.  “I don’t know,” he responded honestly. “Her wounds are serious, and it seems that the blade just barely nicked her heart.”

 _“Isn’t there anything you can do to save her?”_ Fang demanded.

“I-I don’t know…” Michael breathed.

Sebastian smirked, walking over onto Anna’s other side, watching Michael attempt to heal Anna’s wounds. He gazed at the beautiful angel’s face, the corner of her lips still stained with blood, her long silver hair matted with patches of scarlet.

“I _could_ save her,” he told them.

Michael glared at Sebastian, a scowl on his face. “I won’t allow a _demon_ to save the woman I love!” he hissed acidly.

“Well… if she’s the woman you love,” Sebastian responded easily with a shrug, “you wouldn’t allow her to die, would you?”

The angel gritted his teeth, and Ciel showed up at the door.

“Everyone else is still frozen,” he announced.

 _“Because Anna was the one who stopped Time,”_ Fang explained, _“Time won’t start again unless Anna either starts time again, or if she dies.”_

“Young Master, your orders?” Sebastian implored.

Ciel walked over and took Sebastian’s place by Anna’s side as Michael continued trying to heal her. Pausing, he analyzed in his head that having an angel by his side, waiting to grant his heartfelt wish would be useful, therefore, she would be no use to him dead. “Sebastian, this is my order,” he decreed, “save her.”

Sebastian bowed. “Yes, My Lord,” he responded, heading to help Anna, but Michael immediately stood in front of the demon, ceasing his healing.

“No,” he said sternly. “I will never allow Anna to be tainted with a demon’s blood.”

Fang looked at Michael. _“Um… Michael… something about that you should know,”_ he began hesitantly, _“Anna’s already made a Blood Contract with him.”_

“ _What?!_ ” the angel demanded in horror, eyes blazing with anger as he whirled on Sebastian, “ _You!”_

 _“Stop it, Michael!”_ Fang interrupted, flying in front of him. _“Let him save Anna! If she isn’t healed now, she’s going to_ die _!”_

The angel gritted his teeth in frustration, angry that he had to rely on a demon to save the woman he loved. Stepping aside, Sebastian stood by Anna’s side, pulling off a glove with his teeth before biting his wrist, blood dripping onto her wounds, and a strangled gasp escaped Anna’s lips as her eyes shot open. Her back arched as her irises swirled crimson… _like a demon’s_.

“Anna!” Michael screamed, whirling angrily at the demon as a huge white aura flared around him with cold fury.

“It’s alright,” Sebastian said with a smile, touching Anna’s cheek as he leaned down to kiss her, absorbing the demon nature conflicting with Anna’s angelic side, at the same time pressing his bare hand against her chest wound, and the azure in her eyes returned before she sighed into his mouth, dropping limply onto the bed as her more serious wounds began to close, her own healing abilities strengthened with the little bit of demon blood.

Sensing that she was going to be okay, Sebastian pulled his lips off hers, removing his hand from her wound before looking at her angelic face as azure eyes fluttered open to meet his.

“S-Sebastian?” she murmured weakly.

“Welcome back,” he said softly, and Michael hurried to her side, clutching one of her cold hands in both of his.

“Anna, how do you feel?” he demanded urgently.

Her expression twisted to one of fatigue and confusion. “Michael?” she whispered, “What are _you_ doing here?”

“I came as soon as I heard you branded Ash,” he explained. “Are you okay?”

“I don’t _feel_ too okay,” she answered. “I thought that I was going to die.”

Ciel looked at Fang. “Angels and demons can still die, can’t they?” he implored, confused about that logic because of Ash’s appearance.

Fang nodded. _“If harmed by human weapons, angels and demons cannot be killed, and wounds heal rapidly, but if injured by a weapon of holy or demonic origins, the wounds take longer to heal, and the angel/demon can be slain. In the case of Soul Reapers’ weapons, they can heal at an average rate; slower than when harmed by human weapons, and faster than when harmed by holy or demonic weapons,”_ he explained. _“Soul Reaper weapons can still kill an angel or demon, that is… by theory, anyhow.”_

“Why… Why aren’t I dead?” Anna asked quietly, gazing into Michael’s golden eyes. “Were _you_ the one who healed me?”

For some strange reason, she found regret shining in his eyes as he shook his head, his next words choked. “I-I _tried_ , b-but I wasn’t strong enough, and I thought… I thought…” He closed his eyes before reopening them, tears glistening before he finished his sentence. “I thought I was going to lose you.”

Fang floated into her view, golden cat eyes shining with concern and relief. _“It was Sebastian who saved you,”_ he informed her.

Anna tilted her head slightly to smile at Sebastian. “Thank you, Sebastian, for saving my life,” she thanked gratefully.

He bowed. “I appreciate the gratitude, My Lady,” he said, “however, it is the Young Master who ordered me to save you. It should be _him_ you should thank as well.”

The angel looked at Ciel. “Thanks, Ciel,” she said gently, closing her eyes as the blood of her wounds faded, disappearing into thin air. Her wings also disappeared in a flurry of white feathers.

“Anna…” Michael said softly, brushing her cheek with the back of his fingers tenderly before she reopened her eyes.

“What was that?” Ciel implored.

 _“After a while, if an angel was injured and blood was spilt, the blood will fade into nothing, leaving the angel’s body blood-free,”_ Fang explained. _“Its kinda part of a purity thing, I suppose.”_

Anna smiled up at Michael, her cold hands finding his. “Don’t worry about me,” she assured him. “I’m going to be fine. All I need is some good rest.”

Michael shook his head. “I’m staying with you,” he promised her. “I’m going to stay by your side until you’ve fully recovered.”

Ciel looked at the angel-turned-maid. “Has time started up again in the mansion?” he implored.

“Not yet,” Anna responded. “I’ll do that now.”

The young Phantomhive looked at his butler. “Sebastian, go and clean up the glass shards and fix up the window so the others don’t question anything,” he ordered.

“Understood,” Sebastian said with a curt bow, swiftly leaving.

Ciel looked at the three heavenly beings. “If the others ask, I’ll say that you went out to meet with a friend for the day, Anna,” he informed. “I’ll have Sebastian bring you anything you need, and I’ll have him let the others know that your room is strictly off-limits. I’ll tell him to stop by your room every few hours.”

“Thanks Ciel,” she thanked softly with a smile. “I’ll be fully better by tomorrow, I promise.”

He nodded before leaving the room, leaving only Fang, Michael, and Anna.

Michael looked down at Anna. “You should sleep, Anna,” he advised. “You’ll recover faster that way.”

 _“An angel’s healing trance would be better,”_ Fang recommended. _“I’ll stalk around the manor and see if I can find anything. I’ll see whether Ciel or Sebastian know anything either.”_

Michael nodded, picking Anna up into his arms and stood her upright against him, his arms wrapped around her waist. As Fang slipped out of the room, closing the door after him with his tail, Michael gave Anna a quick kiss on the lips.

“I love you, Anna,” he whispered to her as she closed her eyes, sighing tiredly as she rested her head against his shoulder.

“Yeah, you too,” she muttered, and he smiled, allowing his own eyes to slip close as he enfolded the both of them in his wings as they levitated off the ground, his white feathers wrapping around their forms tightly as they both fell into a calming sleep.

 

Ciel returned to his breakfast, which was still surprisingly warm, and Sebastian had already fixed up the window with his amazing demon speed and was patiently waiting for Ciel to return.

“Your breakfast is still warm, Young Master,” Sebastian informed, pushing his chair in. “I suspect that you could thank Anna for that when she stopped Time on the estate grounds.”

He nodded. “Sebastian, you are to visit Anna’s room every so few hours today to attend to any of her needs,” he ordered.

“Understood,” he responded with a swift bow. “Do you have any plans for today regarding Lord Druton’s missing son?”

“Not for the moment, no,” Ciel answered, putting a piece of moist salmon into his mouth. “Sebastian?”

“Yes, Young Master?” the butler replied automatically.

He put down his cutlery, turning to look at the demon with one eye. “You know something about Anna that I don’t,” he accused. “You alone are not to lie to me. What is it about her that I don’t know  about?”

“I will tell you when the time comes, Young Master,” Sebastian promised. “However, now is not the time for me to be telling you this. But I promise you, I _will_ tell you. Either that or else Lady Anna will tell you herself. The secret that that angel holds should only be revealed to you by her and her _alone_ , otherwise, tension may arise. Rest assured though, you are not in any danger because of the secret she keeps sealed.”

Ciel glared at the butler for a moment before returning to his meal. “Well, Sebastian,” he sighed, “that had better be true.”

The demon smiled darkly, his eyes glowing with his demonic aura. “I don’t lie.”


	4. An Angel's Duty

A few hours later, Anna’s eyes fluttered open, and she felt the soft cloth of Michael’s shirt pressed against her cheek as she breathed in his warm scent, and when she looked up, she saw him gazing down at her affectionately, his wings still wrapped around them.

“Michael…” she breathed softly.

“Feel better, Anna?” he asked affectionately, unfurling his wings as they touched back down on the ground.

She nodded. “Thanks to you, I suppose,” she replied, and he leaned down to give her a soft kiss.

“Will you remind me _why_ you are here again?” he sighed worriedly, his dark golden gaze meeting her azure ones.

“I made a promise to grant Vincent Phantomhive’s last wish before he died,” she explained. “I told him that I’d take care of his son, Ciel Phantomhive, and make him happy. That’s my mission.”

The angel shook his head. “But he already has a demon butler to grant his wish, _must_ you be involved?” he pleaded.

“Michael, please,” she sighed, sitting down on the bed, “be rational. You know that I’m not going to leave until I complete my mission. That’s how it’s always been.”

He smiled, sitting down next to her as he wrapped an arm around her waist, kissing the side of her head. “And that’s one of the reasons why I fell in love with you,” he whispered into her ear.

As Anna was pressed against his chest, she felt the warm security of his arms around her, and she whispered to him softly, “I love you too.”

“But I still can’t help but ask; just _why_ can’t you just come back with me? Things are much less calmer here,” he persisted.

She sighed. “What? Then when I see Vincent and Rachel I tell them, ‘oh, I’m sorry, your son’s soul was eaten by a demon and there was nothing I could do about it’? Yeah… not very likely Michael,” she chided. “You know I’m not that kind of person, well… angel, rather.”

He shook his head at her stubbornness. “You should get some more sleep to rest up, Anna,” he advised, letting his wings fade as he laid her down onto the bed. “Regular rest should help ease your mind and body.”

She nodded, sitting up. “But first, I think I’m going to change,” she said, looking down at her torn maid uniform. “I’ll have to get this mended.” She headed to her dresser, pulling out a simple burgundy dress. Closing her eyes, she hugged the dress against her chest and her wings rose above her, enfolding over her before revealing her in the dress, the uniform in her arms.

“Very beautiful,” Michael commented as she folded the uniform, placing it on her dresser before returning to lie down on the bed.

There was a light knock at the door and a smooth voice entered Anna’s head.

 _Are you awake, Lady Anna?_ Sebastian implored her through telepathy.

“Come in, Sebastian,” she called as she sat up, both angels turning to the door.

As the demon opened the door, pushing a trolley in with food on it, he smiled. “I thought you’d both be hungry,” he said, Fang padding in behind them.

“Thanks, Sebastian,” Anna replied gratefully, but Michael didn’t seem too supportive.

 _“For a demon, his cooking is exquisite,”_ Fang commented. _“The fish he prepared for me was delicious.”_

Anna looked at the butler. “By the way, did you try the pastries I made?” she implored. “I’m sure there were plenty of leftovers.”

He nodded. “They were delicious,” he complimented, “as expected of such a heavenly maid.”

There was a low rumble in Michael’s throat protectively as seemed to loom over Anna.

 _“Don’t worry, Michael,”_ Fang assured. _“He didn’t poison anything or whatever you’re thinking.”_

Sebastian smiled. “I’ve brought some smoked salmon for Michael with a side of mint salad, and since you mentioned before that you were slightly more vegetarian, I brought you a refreshing garden salad with a side of fresh fruit.”

“That’s sweet of you, Sebastian,” Anna said, “I didn’t think you’d remember.”

He smiled. “I _am_ , of course, one hell of a butler,” he reminded, pulling out two breakfast-in-bed trays from the lower part of the trolley, placing their respective meals on them before serving it to the two angels, taking out two teacups and saucers while pouring in fresh Earl Grey.

“Mmm… this is delicious,” Anna commented, “the lettuce is so crisp, and the tomatoes aren’t sour. The amount of light dressing is _just_ right.”

Michael nodded, previously being a little suspicious of his meal. “The salmon is smoked to excellence, the smoky flavour goes through and through, and the salmon is very tender,” he added. “Pretty impressive for a demon.”

“Oh Michael,” she sighed as Fang leapt up next to her, laying down on his stomach and paws next to Anna. She turned to Sebastian. “By the way, Sebastian, have you and Ciel been able to find any info on Lord Druton’s son?”

The butler shook his head. “At the moment, the Young Master is doing some research on his own while I was sent to tend to your wishes,” he said.

“Is that so?” Anna murmured, glancing outside her window to the skies. Unconsciously, her wings unfurled from thin air, feathers of the purest white falling from her wings.

“Anna?” Michael questioned softly.

Placing the tray on the side, she stood up, abruptly pulling towards the door. “I have to go,” she said. “I sense… I have to go…”

She stumbled, sidestepping as she still felt weak from blood loss. Before she could collapse, she supported herself against the doorway before vanishing from their sights.

“Anna!” Michael called after her, “Anna, where are you going?!”

Immediately, Fang dashed after her, and Michael and Sebastian followed close behind.

“Where is she going?” Michael demanded.

 _“Anna’s heart has been summoned to grant someone’s last wish,”_ Fang explained. _“As an angel, it’s her duty to grant that wish, no matter what condition she may be in.”_

“But in her current condition, she proves as an easy target if she were to be attacked,” Sebastian pointed out. “You stay after her. I’ll alert the Young Master and chase after her immediately.”

“But how will you be able to find her?” Michael implored.

The demon smiled. “Blood Contract,” he said simply before turning into a different hallway towards where the study was while Michael and Fang chased after Anna.

The angel looked at the cat. “I can’t _believe_ Anna agreed to make a Blood Contract with that guy,” he said. “What was she thinking? Why didn’t you try to stop her?”

 _“I_ did _try, Michael,”_ Fang responded in defence. _“But she wouldn’t listen. She thought that it would help me find her if we ever got separated because of the demons hunting her. Not to mention the rebel angel Ash too. Sebastian might be pretty handy in a search or a fight.”_

Michael gritted his teeth. _Why aren’t I able to protect her?!_ He cried out in his head in frustration. _Why does a_ demon _need to be relied on?!_ _I_ will _protect the woman I love; I_ will _protect Anna!_

 

Sebastian Michaelis knocked softly on the door before pushing it open, looking at Ciel who was sitting at his desk, browsing through a stack of papers.

“I apologize for interrupting you, Young Master,” Sebastian began, “but we have a situation.”

“What is it, Sebastian?” the young earl sighed.

“It seems that Anna’s angelic duties have been called forth, and she has vanished. But in her current condition, she is open for any attack. Michael and Fang are going after her now,” he informed, meeting Ciel’s fierce glare. “What are your orders? Do you want me to help bring her back?”

Ciel put down his papers, standing up. “We’re going too, Sebastian,” he said with a grin. “I’d like to see what these ‘angel duties’ of hers are.”

Sebastian bowed. “Yes, My Lord.”

 

Anna panted as she tiredly navigated through the crowded streets of London, knowing that Michael and Fang wouldn’t be too far behind her.

She coughed, unused to the tainted air of London. Turning into a dark, empty hallway, she closed her eyes. “Time to fly,” she murmured, her angel wings rising from her back with a soft silver shimmer before she took off into the air, the average human eye being unable to see her.

Flying towards where she found the source of the wish calling out to her, she discovered to find that her destination was the local hospital, where a young man lay in bed, his skin sickly pale, his dark hair brushed back off his sticky forehead. Anna flew through the open window and landed next to his bedside, tree leaves falling into the room on the floor.

The young man weakly blinked at her. “A-Are you the Angel of Death?” he whispered. “Am I dreaming?”

Anna shook her head, a tired smile touching her lips. “My name is Anna. I am an angel, and I heard your wish,” she told him. “What is your name?”

“J-James,” he told her, “James Kurt.”

“I’m here to grant your heart’s wish before I help you move on. What is it that you want?”

“Are you able to save me?” he breathed hopefully, and she shook her head.

“I’m sorry,” Anna sighed, “but I cannot change your fate.”

“Please then… I want to have a message sent to my fiancée,” he rasped weakly. “I need her to know… that I love her… even though… I knew that she was cheating on me… but it was all my fault… because I… neglected her…”

“Is that all?” she implored. “You could just ask me to take you to go see her.”

He moved his head as if refusing. “It would be too painful… for me to see her… like this…” he said, and she nodded in understanding.

Anna pulled one of the roses out from the vase beside him and it transformed into a piece of parchment and a feather pen.

“Tell her-“

Anna cut him off, placing a finger over his dry lips, and he felt the pain in his body melt away at her touch. She smiled at him. “It’s alright,” she told him. “Don’t speak. Open your mind and heart to me, and I will write whatever you want to your fiancée.”

The man nodded, thinking it wise not to argue with an angel. Closing his eyes, Anna placed a hand on his forehead, his thoughts and feelings flowing into Anna, which she conveyed down onto the parchment in flawless handwriting.

Outside, Michael and Fang stood up in the tree, watching as Anna helped grant the last wish of the dying man. Resting his palm against the trunk, Michael watched Anna with kind eyes, feeling nothing but affection for the beautiful angel. Fang sat on the branch, waving his tail back and forth. Below, Sebastian and Ciel just arrived, and Sebastian leaped both himself and Ciel to join Michael and Fang on the branch, watching Anna work.

“About time you got here,” Michael commented crudely.

Ignoring him, Ciel glanced over at what Anna was doing. “So is _this_ what an angel does? Grant the final wish of the soon-to-be departed?” he asked.

Fang nodded. _“But not_ all _angels do this. Anna is in a very special department that is in charge of handling the departing souls of this world. The Soul Reapers are one of the departments that work under them,”_ he said. _“Angels like Michael work in the more medical department, where they deal with healing the sick, healing wounded angels, just things involving healing and sickness in general. Then there are a whole bunch of other departments that takes care of different affairs of sorts.”_

“Hmmm…” Sebastian cut in, “Anna seems to be tiring out.”

 _“Oh my… will she be alright?”_ Fang implored.

Michael nodded, his eyes not leaving her form. “As long as we’re nearby and she’s in our sights, we can protect her if someone tries to attack,” he replied.

Anna set down the feather pen after signing it, and she looked at the dying young man. “I have writ it in _your_ handwriting,” she told him softly. “All of these feelings belong to you and you alone. Is there anything else?”

The young man shook his head, smiling at her. “T-Thank you, Anna,” he sighed, closing his eyes for the final time as he died, an invisible transparent aura rising from the man’s chest, disappearing as it floated up into the air.

 _“And that’s all there is to it,”_ Fang told Ciel and Sebastian. “But of course, not _all_ of her requests are as easy as this.”

“You may as well come on in,” Anna called to them, turning to look at them in the trees. “I know you’ve all been out there.”

Swiftly, they flew through the window as Anna gently brushed James Kurt’s hair away from his closed eyes, touching his cheek for a moment kindly before standing up and folding the letter before tucking it away into her sleeve.

“Why’d you guys all follow me here?” she sighed, taking a step forward before collapsing, her wings vanishing as she was being swept into Michael’s arms.

“We’re worried about you, Anna,” Michael said gently, turning her in his arms. “You’re so vulnerable like this.”

“Well… I’m thankful that you did,” she murmured with a smile as she stood up with his help. “Thanks a lot.”

Sebastian eyes darted towards the window. “Pardon me for interrupting,” he began, “but I suggest that we should all get going. I sense a demon is approaching our location.”

“He’s right,” Anna agreed, a hand resting on Michael’s shoulder for support. “I can sense it too. We should go. However, let’s head over to where James Kurt’s fiancée lives before we head back to the Phantomhive Estate. I want to deliver his last letter before I forget. But just to be on the safe side, Michael, I need you and Fang to take care of the demon approaching. Sebastian, Ciel and I will go to Julia Hawthorne’s place to deliver her the letter.”

Sebastian plucked a rose from the vase, pressing the petals against his lips, and the petals swirled into a darker, purpling-black colour. He offered it out to Anna, and she nodded, and easily the butler tucked the dark rose into her hair, contrasting against the sleek silvery white.

“Take good care of yourself,” Michael said, his eyes meeting hers.

 _“Take good care of her,”_ Fang chimed, looking up at Sebastian.

She nodded, and he gave her a quick kiss on the forehead before vanishing out the window with Fang.

“Well, Sebastian? Ciel?” Anna addressed with a sigh, “Shall we go?”

Sebastian nodded, swinging her up swiftly into his arms. He smiled at her surprised expression before turning to Ciel.

“Young Master, shall we get going?” he advised, adjusting Anna’s light weight in his arms.

Ciel nodded, and Anna looked up at Sebastian, wrapping her arms around his neck to keep herself propped a little more upright in his arms.

“Sebastian, can you recognize this demon’s scent?” she implored him. “Is it at all familiar to you?”

He met her eyes and nodded. “I once hunted with him, he’s a little like a vampire as well,” he explained. “He can measure the pureness of a soul just by tasting their blood.”

The angel blinked. “Well… I’ll have to remember to be careful then,” she said. “I’ve heard many times before that my blood is quite sweet. But then again, _most_ angels’ bloods are sweet to demons.”

The demon smiled. “Yes, that _is_ true,” he agreed.

“Enough,” Ciel said. “Let’s go.”

Sebastian smiled at his young master before swiftly carrying Anna out of the room through the window, and Ciel threw himself out, and Sebastian caught him easily after setting Anna down on her feet.

“Sebastian,” Anna said softly, “Ciel will be needed to be well watched over. I can’t risk Ciel’s soul, especially when it’s my own that is the target. No matter what, take care of him.”

“Understood,” he replied as she headed to the carriage, Ciel going with her.

As Ciel climbed into the carriage, Sebastian leaped up to sit at the head of the carriage, taking the reins.

“Anna?” he said, offering his hand out to her.

She took his hand and he pulled her up to sit next to him at the front. “Thank you,” she said. “Let’s go.”

Tugging on the reins, Sebastian turned the horses around, leading the carriage to Julia Hawthorne’s location.

 

“We’re here, Anna,” Sebastian said, looking at her.

She nodded, jumping down to the ground as she pulled out the letter from her sleeve, smoothly drawing the black rose out of her hair, placing it with the letter as she walked to the door, knocking twice.

The door opened to reveal a woman with dark red hair, a slender face, and deep green eyes.

“Yes?” she implored, “Can I help you?”

“Good day,” Anna greeted quietly. “Are you Lady Julia Hawthorne?”

The woman nodded. “Can I help you?”

Anna looked at her sadly. “I regret to inform you of your fiancé, Lord James Kurt’s, death,” she told her. “He died just less than half an hour ago. I’m sorry for your loss.”

“N-No…” she breathed. “T-That’s impossible. I-It was just supposed to be a minor infection, wasn’t it?” Tears were coming to her eyes.

Anna shook her head. “I’m sorry for your loss,” she said again, offering out the letter and rose to her. “These are his last words to you. Rest assured, he went in peace.”

Tears fell from Julia’s eyes. “I-I truly loved that man,” she wept. “I loved him with all my heart.”

Very gently, Anna placed a hand over Julia Hawthorne’s eyes, placing her in a hypnotic trance. _“Everything will be alright,”_ she said with a soft golden glow in her eyes, “ _He went in peace, and he is no longer in any pain. He forgives you for cheating, and he is sorry that he couldn’t show how much he truly loved you.”_

As she withdrew her hand, there was a soft glimmer of remorse and guilt reflecting in Julia’s eyes.

“Thank you,” she thanked her quietly, sniffing. She closed the door as Anna curtseyed politely, walking away back towards the carriage.

Sebastian smiled at her, and she dipped her head, looking up to the skies as a warm wind blew against her hair, and Sebastian’s eyes widened as suddenly an arm wrapped around Anna’s waist, another winding around her neck covering her mouth.

“Anna!” Sebastian exclaimed, but it was too late.

Sharp fangs sunk into the side of Anna’s throat and a dark aura fluttering around them both caused Anna’s eyes to close as she was put to artificial sleep, collapsing into the demon’s arms as he withdrew his fangs, licking the blood away from his lips.

“What _is_ that creature?! Is he even human?!” Ciel demanded as he was about to step out of the carriage.

“No! Young Master! Stay in there!” Sebastian ordered strictly, leaping to face down the other demon. “Release the angel… Laurence.”

“My my, if it isn’t my old friend, Sebastian Michaelis,” he sighed. “So you’ve become a butler now, have you, Sebastian.” Biting down into Anna’s neck, the opposing demon drunk deeply and when he pulled out, he licked his lips, smiling. “Well… if _this_ is what an angel’s blood tastes like, I wonder how delicious her _soul_ would taste.”

“Leave her,” Sebastian said darkly. “She is currently employed under Earl Ciel Phantomhive.”

Sweeping Anna’s limp body up into his arms, demon Laurence Kingsley smiled at the angel with bright red eyes, a grin touching his perfect lips while the wind played with his long brown hair, tied into a neat ponytail.

“But even so, her soul is not tied to his as yours is through the Contract,” he said. “And you have not claimed this angel’s soul to belong to you, therefore, she is an open meal for any demon, including _me_.”

Ciel glared at Laurence. “Sebastian, this is an order,” he declared, “save Anna.” _No one takes my wish-granting angel without me saying so,_ he added silently.

“Yes, My Lord,” Sebastian said, his eyes glowing demonically for a moment before he leaped towards Laurence, but the demon dodged his advance easily, gripping Anna’s body tighter against him.

“Well… we’ve had our amusements,” Laurence said, “but now, I will take my leave.”

“No!” Sebastian hissed, but the demon disappeared in a silent explosion of smoke, Anna vanishing with him.

“That’s a first,” Ciel murmured. “You actually failed, Sebastian. Anna’s gone.”

The demon butler sighed. “That’s one of his unique abilities,” he explained. “He can vanish to anywhere he wants twice a day. Anymore and he’ll exhaust his powers.”

“Sebastian, Ciel!” Michael exclaimed as he and Fang flew over to them, Fang in his panther form. “Where’s Anna?!”

“She’s been taken,” Ciel responded. “I thought that you two were supposed to have taken care of him.”

Fang growled, sharp canines bared. _“He tricked us,”_ he hissed acidly, _“he told us he was going to devour Anna’s soul, and then he escaped here.”_

“Anna!” Michael growled, his hands tightening into fists. “I have to save her.”

 _“We will,”_ Fang hissed. _“I can still sense her.”_

“Young Master, we’re taking you back first,” Sebastian said. “I’ll go with Michael and Fang to go save Anna.”

The thirteen year old shook his head. “I’m coming with you,” he said.

“It’s too dangerous,” Michael said. “This demon is very powerful, and should not be tampered with; _especially_ by a thirteen year old boy.”

Ciel looked as if he was about to bark back a remark, but Fang cut him off.

 _“Please, Michael, we need to hurry,”_ the feline said in agitation. _“Anna may be running out of time for all we know. But for the moment, her heart still beats strongly.”_

 _Anna, Anna, can you hear me?_ Sebastian called through his head, but was greeted with no reply. Through the Blood Contract, he could still sense where her location was.

“Very well,” Ciel stated. “Sebastian, send me back to the Phantomhive Estate before you go. And don’t you dare return to the Estate without Anna.”

Sebastian nodded. “Yes, My Lord.”


	5. A New Guest in the Phantomhive Estate

“There’s an abandoned building that has a demon’s scent radiating from it,” Michael said. “I think Anna is probably there.”

 _“Michael’s right,”_ Fang said. _“My bond with Anna is calling me there.”_

Sebastian nodded. “I can sense her through the Blood Contract as well,” he agreed. _Anna? Anna? Can you hear me?_ He called telepathically.

 _Dammit Sebastian!_ Her voice snarled in his mind. _Come and get me already! Do you have any_ idea _what I’m being put through right now?!_

“Oh my, oh my,” he murmured aloud, “Anna seems to be in a pinch right now. We should get going.”

“Is she okay?” Michael demanded, and Sebastian nodded in reply while answering Anna in his head.

 _We’re coming, Anna,_ he told her kindly, _just hang on until we arrive. Are you unharmed?_

 _With the exception of being branded with a demon rune, yes,_ she responded, _But being tied up in demon cuffs isn’t good, considering angels can’t break and escape from them. Please help before Laurence tries to do anything to me,_ including _trying to take my soul._

 _Yes, My Lady,_ Sebastian reassured her, looking at Michael and Fang. “Let’s go.”

 

Anna struggled fruitlessly against the demon cuffs restraining her hands and feet, tying her up against the wall. The windowless room had only a single light bulb that illuminated the room, and Anna was tied up against the south wall, facing the only door that led the way out, while there was no east wall, leading into another room, but Anna knew what lie inside the dark room.

“Let me go!” she screeched at her captor, but the demon smiled.

“Now why would I allow such an elegant angel escape my grasp?” Laurence Kingsley responded with a dark smile, reaching out to grip her shoulders. “I intend to drain you of most of your blood before I take your soul. It will definitely be something to look forward to, considering only very, _very_ lucky demons are given the privilege to take such a pure angel’s soul.”

 _Sebastian… where are you?_ Anna thought, hoping that the demon would come to save her soon.

There was a baby’s cry in the next room, and she glared at him. “Let the infant _go_ ,” she hissed. “I only let myself get captured by you to know that he was safe! You have me now! Let him go!”

Laurence stroked her cheek. “That child isn’t even yours, why do you care so much about him?” he inquired.

“I heard the wishes of that child’s heart,” she explained. “I felt the child’s desire to find his mother and father. Let him go!”

“There’s no point in searching then,” Laurence told her. “The child’s parents are both dead.”

“Liar!” Anna screeched, but the rune placed on her throat seared her, sending waves of pain flurrying through her. She coughed, and blood dripped from her lips. “I know that child’s mother and father still lives!”

Easily, the demon wiped her blood away with his fingers. “Stop fighting it, Anna,” he sighed. “Let the rune consume you, let the pain take you.”

Anna let out a bitter scream as the rune glowed red, and suddenly the door burst open, Sebastian, Michael, and Fang dashed in, Michael leaping at Laurence angrily, and the demon leapt away.

 _“Anna!”_ Fang shouted out, leaping to scratch fruitlessly at the cuffs restraining his bonded.

“It won’t work, Fang,” Sebastian said, grabbing the cuffs and effortlessly snapping them in his hands, the binds vanishing into smoke as Anna collapsed into his arms, and he placed a hand over the rune on her neck, and she gasped as her eyes shot open in pain before it gradually lessoned before vanishing. “These are demon cuffs; it’s designed so that only a demon can break them.”

 _“Anna, are you okay?”_ Fang asked worriedly.

She nodded, pulling out of Sebastian’s arms, the demonic rune have vanished from her neck, leaving no traces of it ever being there. Taking a deep breath, she took a shaky step forward. “I have to… save… that child…” she breathed, and her knees buckled under her, and Sebastian caught her, easily holding her up against his chest.

 _“Anna, you’re more hurt than you think!”_ Fang told her, noticing the red burn marks on her wrists and ankles. _“The demon cuffs burned you!”_

Weakly, Anna raised an outstretched hand towards the dark room, and her form glimmered with a dim white glow. “I have to…” she murmured, and a light illuminated from the other room while Laurence and Michael fought, a glowing, crying bundle of light floating over to Anna’s hands, and Sebastian released her, gripping her shoulders to keep her upright as she embraced the infant into her arms, the light disappearing as Anna hummed quietly to hush the child.

 _“What is an infant doing with a demon?”_ Fang said in surprise. _“Anna, do you know this child?”_

Anna smiled softly before she closed her eyes, clutching the baby against her chest before she collapsed, Sebastian holding her.

 _“Anna! Anna!”_ he exclaimed.

Michael growled at Laurence. “You’re going to pay for this, demon,” he hissed. “How dare you hurt her!”

“Don’t think this is over, angel,” he responded with a smirk. “I’ve still yet to eat her soul.” With that said, he vanished in a flurry of flames, and the room was peaceful once more.

“Ahhh…” Anna sighed, blinking open her eyes, looking up at her worried angel boyfriend, twisting her head behind her to see Sebastian staring down at her with a smile. Fang brushed against her legs with a worried purr. “Oh, I’m alright,” she assured. “Don’t worry about me. These burn marks will fade soon enough.” She pulled the white blanket away from the baby’s face, revealing the soft pale skin, the short brown hair, and the large blue eyes staring up at them in curiosity.

“Who’s child is this?” Michael implored. “What is it doing with a demon?”

“This child’s name is Adrian,” she explained. “I was told that through a memory of his. His mother and father are unknown, but I know that they’re still alive somewhere. Until then, I will take care of the child.” She looked at Sebastian. “Or will Ciel protest this child’s presence in the Phantomhive Estate?”

The demon helped her up. “Provided that the child does not cause the Young Master any trouble,” he began, “I am quite positive that he will allow him there.”

Allowing his wings to lift him up into the air and look at the baby, Fang gazed at Adrian with sharp golden eyes. _“Quite a young infant, isn’t he?”_ he commented, _“I’d say about two years old or so?”_

Anna nodded. “Along with James Kurt, _this_ child’s heart called out to me, wanting to see his mother and father,” she told them. “A child’s wish is one of the loudest, and so I tracked it back here, but the only way to get in without causing a stir was to allow myself to be abducted by demon Laurence Kingsley.”

“And here the Young Master thought that I failed in protecting you,” Sebastian chuckled, shaking his head. “And yet it was you who allowed yourself to be kidnapped.”

She shrugged. “Of course,” she said. “I wouldn’t allow myself to be kidnapped by a demon that easily and for absolutely no reason. Now… let’s go back before Ciel gets worried.”

“Worried?” the butler responded in amusement. “The Young Master? Never.”

“If anyone’s worried about anything,” Michael said stiffly, “ _I’m_ worried about _you_.”

Anna chuckled quietly. “I appreciate your concern, Michael,” she told him affectionately. “But really, I’m alright. And if I’m not, I will be.”

He sighed, “That doesn’t reassure me too much.”

She smiled. “Let’s go,” she said.

 

“Young Master,” Sebastian called as they entered the estate.

Ciel walked out from the study nearby the stairwell, and he gave Anna a brief once-over. “Well… it looks like you fulfilled your orders after all, Sebastian,” he said. Then he was aware of the white bundle in Anna’s arms. “Is that… a _baby_ , Anna?”

She nodded with a smile. “Ciel,” she said softly, “meet Adrian. I hope you don’t mind, but I will be taking care of him until his _real_ mother and father can be found.”

“This child was in the demon Laurence Kingsley’s possession, and Anna allowed herself to get captured to rescue him,” Michael explained.

Sebastian pat her on the head. “You should get some rest, Anna,” he told her. “You’ve been through a lot today.”

She shook her head. “I’m alright,” she assured. “For now, I’ll take Adrian to my room to get him cleaned up and put to bed. Afterwards I’ll help out around the mansion.”

 _“Absolutely not,”_ Fang protested, looking up at Anna. _“You’ve lost so much blood, a demon-vampire drank your blood and took a lick at your soul, and you’ve saved a child from the grasp of a demon. You’ve been held in demon cuffs, burned with a demon rune, nearly killed by an angel, and you nearly_ died _. There’s no way that you can work today.”_

“I’m okay,” she replied. “Really, I’m fine.”

Ciel looked at Sebastian. “Sebastian, prepare some tea. We have an uninvited guest, and I _don’t_ mean anyone present here,” he said, frowning. “Lau is here.”

“Understood,” he responded automatically.

Michael looked at Anna. “Okay, well… if everything’s good here, I’m going to head back to work,” he informed. “I’ll check back with you later, okay? I’ll also bring down a crib for the baby.”

Anna nodded with a smile. “Thanks for coming, Michael,” she thanked quietly.

He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before nodding to Sebastian and Ciel before leaving out the front door.

 _“Anna?”_ Fang said gently. _“Shall we go?”_

Anna nodded. “I’ll come to help prepare some pastries afterwards for our guest,” she told Sebastian, and he dipped his head in response.

Fang and Anna took baby Adrian back to her room, while Ciel went to speak to their guest and Sebastian went to go prepare some afternoon tea and pastries.

 

Not long afterwards, Anna and Fang joined Sebastian in the kitchen, where he was just taking out some pastries from the oven. Anna had changed into one of her spare uniforms and the marks on her wrists and ankles were gone.

“Need any help?” Anna implored, rolling up her sleeves.

He shook his head. “Don’t worry about it,” he assured her as he fanned the pastries lightly. “Just relax.”

She smiled. “No really, I’ll help out,” she told him, pulling over the rolling tray and placing the porcelain cake rack on it, as well as a tray. She placed several fine china teacups on the tray, as well as a teapot.

While Sebastian neatly organized the pastries on the cake rack, Anna made the tea, skilfully putting in exact amounts of tea leaves into the pot before pouring in hot water, imbuing kindness into it unintentionally.

“Is there anything you need right now, Fang?” Anna implored as she placed the lid on the teapot, allowing the tea to settle. “Are you hungry; thirsty?”

The cat padded over to her, flicking his tail. _“That’s kind of you, Anna,”_ he replied, _“But no, I am just fine. Well… shall we go? I’m sure that Ciel will get annoyed if we’re late to serve tea.”_

“True,” Sebastian agreed, glancing at his silver pocket watch. “We should probably head over to the longue where the Young Master is.”

Anna smiled. “Then let’s go,” she said cheerfully, pushing the cart out the door, Sebastian and Fang following her easily.

Knocking twice on the door, Sebastian opened the door and Anna pushed the cart in, Fang padding behind her.

“Good day, Ciel,” Anna greeted politely, “good day, honoured guest.”

The Chinese man looked at Anna and smiled widely, dipping his head, looking back at Ciel. “I see you’ve a new servant, Earl Phantomhive,” he pointed out, “she’s quite the beauty.” Looking back at Anna as she and Sebastian prepared the plates and teacups, he addressed Anna, “Miss Maid? Would you please come over here?”

Anna obeyed, walking over to stand in front of Lau. She lowered her head, closing her eyes as he looked her over.

“What is your name, Miss Maid?” he implored.

“Anna,” she answered calmly. “May I ask your name, Sir?”

“Lau,” he responded, grabbing her by the waist and sitting her on his lap, much to her surprise and Fang’s discomfort as his fur rose, anger flashing in golden feline eyes.

A vein pulsed on Ciel’s forehead. “Lau, can you _please_ let my maid go?” he demanded. “I do not think that she appreciates your sudden advances on her.”

Lau wrapped his arm tighter around her, and he rubbed his cheek against her back adoringly, causing shivers to radiate up and down Anna’s spine in terror. “But she’s so adorable!” he exclaimed, “Can I buy her from you, Earl? She’d make a wonderful maid, and certainly would be a wonderful model to dress up.”

 _I can’t be helped but be reminded of the time Madame Red made advances on Sebastian,_ Ciel thought, another vein pulsing irritably. “I am not planning on selling off my employees anytime soon,” he answered calmly.

Then Lau released her, and Sebastian took Anna’s hand and lifted her from Lau’s grasp, setting her down next to him, quietly murmuring to her and she nodded in reply. Returning to the tray, Sebastian poured the tea before Anna set the teacups in front of Ciel and Lau, very much wary of the Chinese noble now.

“Do you know anything regarding Lord Druton’s son’s kidnapping?” Ciel asked Lau directly.

“Not really,” he responded. “Only that there are special documents that Lord Druton has in his possession regarding the kidnapping, but he won’t reveal what its contents are to anyone.”

The young earl looked intrigued by this piece of information. “Interesting…” he murmured. “Sebastian? Anna? Any opinions?”

“Those documents may contain details about what Lord Druton does under the watch of the public,” Anna murmured thoughtfully. “That may be a factor on why he will not allow anyone to see them.”

“Yes,” Sebastian agreed. “And if we manage to obtain those documents, we may obtain proof of his underground deals at the same time.”

“Indeed we may,” Ciel agreed. “Lau, are you attending Lord Druton’s dance party next week?”

He shook his head. “I’m afraid I have other arrangements already made for that time,” he replied. “But I will alert you if there is anything I am able to find.” Lau looked thoughtfully at Anna. “Where did you find this elegant maid again, you say?” he implored.

“More like she came to _me_ ,” Ciel answered honestly, “Jealous, Lau?”

“Quite,” the man replied curtly before sighing. “Wish I’d have an attractive woman walk up to my door and ask to work for me.”

Mentally, Anna chuckled, and Sebastian shot her a sideway glance as he heard her chuckles echoing faintly in his head.

 _I take it you find this rather amusing, Anna,_ he said to her.

 _Yes,_ she responded. _Rather, I don’t often hear something like that said. So it is quite strange to me to hear something like this._

“Well then… I suppose we’ll stop by Undertaker’s shop to see whether he knows anything,” Ciel declared, mainly to Sebastian and Anna.

“We’ll make the arrangements, Young Master,” Sebastian said as he and Anna bowed politely.

“Miss Anna,” Lau addressed. “May I request that you linger here a little longer?”

Anna shot a glance at Ciel, and the young earl nodded, and Anna curtseyed while Sebastian left the study.

“I will stay here so long as my service is still needed,” she told them.

Lau looked at Ciel. “Do you mind if I test your new maid, Earl Phantomhive?” he requested as he stood up.

“Not at all,” he responded, obviously amused as he watched the Chinese man pull two of the fencing swords from the rack by the fireplace.

Tossing over one sword to Anna, Lau implored, “Do you know how to fence, Miss Anna?”

“I do,” she replied simply, taking formal defensive stance. “I am honoured that you are challenging me to a friendly duel.”

Ciel decided to be both the judge and the spectator for this battle-to-be. “Begin!”

Immediately, Lau skilfully jabbed his fencing sword at Anna’s torso, but the angel just-as-skilfully twisted out of the way, diving under to thrust her foil at his heart. Before the foil made contact, Lau back-flipped away from her, out of her foil’s reach. Immediately Anna advanced on him, smoothly sliding under his arm to poke the end of the foil against Lau’s chest before he leaped away.

“I commend you for your skills, Miss Maid,” he noted. “You are obviously not just a beginner. For the time being, I will yield. You have passed my little test.” He released his stance and looked at Ciel. “Really, Earl, how _do_ you find such amazing servants? First you have Mr. Butler, and now Miss Maid.”

There was a gentle knock on the door, and Sebastian poked his head through with a smile.

“Anna, may I request your assistance?” he implored.

“Of course,” she replied softly, sliding the fencing sword back into the rack. Curtseying to Ciel and Lau, she left with Sebastian, but Fang stayed by Ciel’s side.

Anna closed the door after her, and followed Sebastian down the hall for a moment before realizing that Sebastian may have been joking about needing her help.

“What is it, Sebastian?” Anna implored gently. “What do you need assistance for?”

Immediately, Sebastian grabbed Anna’s arms and pinned her against the wall, his face dangerously close to hers.

“Yeah… I don’t think so,” Anna said softly, staring deeply into Sebastian’s eyes. “No matter what you say or do Sebastian, I won’t play bait. Do you honestly think I _want_ Laurence Kingsley to come after myself and Ciel? I swore to Ciel’s father that I would protect him and watch over him. I can no longer save him from his hate, but I believe that I can still save his soul from being devoured.”

Sebastian’s hands tightened on her arms, and his eyes glimmered with a demonic aura. “Would you be willing to trade _your_ soul for the Young Master’s then?” he suggested. “Give me your soul in exchange for his?”

Unflinchingly and without hesitation, she rose her shining golden gaze to his and answered, “Yes.”

This surprised Sebastian, and it showed on his face, the demonic glower vanishing back to its ruby red. Anna smirked, noticing that she had shaken the demon’s resolve, and she closed her molten gold eyes, opening them once more to reveal azure blue.

“Would you like to have a taste of my soul?” Anna taunted, pulling out of his grip easily. “Well… too bad.”

 She began walking off to the kitchen, but suddenly Sebastian grabbed her arm, spinning the angel into his arms before kissing her deeply, tasting the pureness of Anna’s soul as he held her in his arms before she wrenched away, slapping Sebastian across the cheek in anger before storming from the hall. A powerful golden aura glowed around her, brightening the moderately dark hallway before she allowed it to wink out, taking a deep and calming breath.

 _Stupid demon,_ she thought. _Who does he think he is? Then again… I_ was _the one who taunted him in the first place. Argh… whatever… Either way… stupid Sebastian…_

 

“Sebastian, where’s Anna?” Ciel implored as the butler walked in the room with another pot of tea. Lau had left to go do a little investigating for Ciel.

“Well…” he responded, “I apologize, Young Master, but I have seemed to have infuriated the newest Phantomhive maid.”

Ciel blinked at him. “What did you do, Sebastian?” he demanded. “Only _you_ know how to insult an angel.”

“Well…” he began with a sigh, “I _did_ take a quick taste of her soul by stealing a kiss from her. Obviously that infuriated her, considering she slapped me across the face, so I will take responsibility for her absence.”

The young earl sighed heavily in irritation. “Do you have any idea where she is?” he implored.

Fang hissed at Sebastian. _“You did_ what _?! I don’t know where Anna is either!”_ he snapped. _“I can’t sense her right now! She won’t talk to me!”_

“I’m afraid that Anna is also blocking me too,” Sebastian noted. “She’s ignoring my mental calls to her, and unfortunately I cannot track her for the moment, even with the Blood Bond, as she is, as I said, blocking me.”

Ciel sighed, rolling an eye. “Well… she’ll alert us if she gets into any trouble, right?”

 _“Maybe…”_ Fang growled, feline eyes glaring at the demon butler. _“Anna can have quite a fiery temper sometimes, but usually she means well.”_

“Anyway, Sebastian,” the earl continued, “do you have any idea _why_ that angel Ash is still alive? I thought you disposed of him the last time we encountered him.”

“That’s what I believed too,” the demon agreed. “But strangely enough, he’s still alive.”

 _“You think that angels die that easily after being beaten by a demon, Sebastian?”_ Fang barked harshly. _“Our kind is not as inferior as you think they are.”_

He sighed with a shrug. “I suppose so,” he said. “Either way, Anna is still in danger of being attacked by either the not-deceased Ash or Laurence, therefore…”

“Make sure you apologize to her when you see her next, Sebastian,” Ciel ordered. “I’d rather not have my own demon butler be occupied with affairs of our angelic guest. I will need your services for the times to come.”

Sebastian blinked, then bowed swiftly. “Understood,” he responded automatically.

 _“Anna!”_ Fang gasped, ears perking as his head turned to the door. _“She’s in her room, apparently! Excuse me, Ciel, but I must speak to her.”_ Without waiting for a reply, the white cat dashed out.

Sebastian looked at Ciel, and Ciel just glared at him before the butler nodded.

“One more thing before you go though, Sebastian,” Ciel began, and Sebastian stopped, looking at his master.

 

Arriving at Anna’s room, he found Fang pacing outside the door in agitation.

“Why are you not inside with Anna?” he implored.

The cat glared up at him. _“She won’t let me in,”_ he hissed. _“Something’s bothering her, and it’s not_ you _either.”_

A smile crept its way onto Sebastian’s face, and he rapped lightly on the door twice. “Anna, may I come in and have a word with you?” he requested politely.

Fang snorted. _“She won’t even let_ me _in, so what makes you think that she’d ever let-“_

“Come in, Sebastian,” Anna’s voice called through the door, and Fang’s tail dropped to the ground in disbelief.

As Sebastian smiled as if to say, ‘I told you so’, Fang glared up at the butler. _“You’d better not do anything to infuriate her further, demon,”_ he threatened.

Sebastian dipped his head before opening the door, closing it behind him as he watched as Anna was sitting on the side of her bed, baby Adrian tucked into his newly-brought cradle by Michael. Her eyes were glancing outside, and the gaze looked distant.

Immediately, Sebastian walked over in front of her and bent down on one knee, lowering his gaze as he held a hand against his chest, the other folded behind his back. “I apologize for my actions towards you earlier, Anna,” he apologized sincerely.

Her gaze never left the window. “I appreciate your apology, Sebastian, but… there is nothing to forgive…” she murmured softly, sounding almost distant, like only half of her was present in the room.

“Anna?” he implored, standing up. “Are you alright?”

“Not especially, no,” she responded, subconsciously touching the base of her left collarbone. When her azure gaze met Sebastian’s, the demon was shocked at the emptiness those twin orbs held. “I’ve been targeted by a Greater Demon,” she breathed, and his eyes widened. “I’ve been marked to die, Sebastian.”


	6. Orders of Love

“How did this happen, Anna?” Sebastian demanded, immediately moving to sit by her side. “May I?”

She nodded, and he carefully peeled away the fabric of Anna’s uniform from her neck to see the black star pentagram imprinted on her left collarbone over the smooth and flawless skin.

“I’m not sure,” she answered carefully. “I was just coming back from getting the cradle from Michael, and the next thing I knew, I spaced out for a moment before I found this mark burning on my neck. Do you recognize whose symbol this is?”

Sebastian inspected the mark carefully before allowing his soft white gloved to brush over it, and she couldn’t help but wince.

“My apologies if I hurt you,” he told her, realizing that the mark was sensitive to a demon’s touch. “I do not particularly recognize this symbol, but I can guarantee that this is a Greater Demon’s mark. Only a Greater Demon can imprint on a human, more or less, an angel.”

“Could Laurence Kingsley be the culprit?” Anna asked.

Fixing up her uniform, Sebastian shook his head. “Laurence is just a regular demon like me,” he responded. Pausing, he implored, “Does Fang and Michael know about this?”

She shook her head. “I haven’t told them yet,” she said softly. “I don’t know what to do. I’ve rarely ever heard of this happening before. What does this mean?”

“Rest assured,” he soothed her, “this only means that the value of your soul has gone up.”

Anna bit her lip. “And that’s supposed to put my fears at rest?” she demanded, “I’m being _targeted_ , Sebastian. That has to scare me, at _least_.”

Sebastian smiled at her gently. “So long as you work under the name of Phantomhive,” he began, “I will do everything I can to help and protect you, unless ordered by the Young Master otherwise.”

“And I trust Ciel won’t try to have me killed, correct?” she implored worriedly.

The demon chuckled. “Most unlikely,” he assured. “But rest assured, Anna, I will protect you.”

Anna’s lips twitched into a small smile, but her eyes still reflected deep worry. “Thanks, Sebastian,” she murmured gratefully, her hand nervously moving to her collarbone.

“Don’t worry, Anna,” Sebastian told her, taking her hand in both of his and kissing the back of it softly. “I _will_ protect you, My Lady.”

Recalling the words of his master, he smiled at her sincerely before looking at her, stroking her cheek. She didn’t flinch from his gentle touch. “May I?” he implored.

Her dim eyes blinked at him in slight confusion, and he moved closer to her, waiting to see if she’d react, but she didn’t, remaining still. Very softly, Sebastian kissed her tenderly, his hand still on her cheek as she closed her eyes, allowing the demon to kiss her. As he kissed the angel, Ciel’s orders rang through his mind.

 _Make Anna fall in love with you, Sebastian,_ Ciel had ordered. _I don’t care by what methods, but you must make sure that Anna stays by your side, because you answer to_ me _. We can’t have any of Anna’s angel friends to convince her to go against my goals. So do all you can to protect her, unless my safety is in danger first. This is my order._

Sebastian’s lips brushed against Anna’s cheek before running teasingly over her ear, causing her breath to hitch before she pulled away abruptly.

“Sebastian, I can’t,” she told him. “Especially not with a demon, this isn’t right. We’re two completely different species.”

Immediately, Sebastian pinned her down onto her bed, his eyes staring deeply into hers. “What is your relationship with Michael anyway? Is he your lover?” he demanded.

“Angels are given a promised partner when we are created,” she explained. “But Michael has truly fallen in love with me, but I see him more as a guardian figure, so I _do_ love him, but just not romantically.”

“Would you like to explain how angels are created?” he implored, stroking her hair. “I’ve always been a little curious about that. I never really _could_ ask one, as the last one I encountered tried to kill me.”

“Many of us were human before we died one way or another,” she explained, “Becoming an angel allows us another chance at living, though not completely human. But only specific humans become angels; the ones that still have something they’re strongly holding onto in life. That, as well as other factors.”

“So what are _you_ holding onto?” Sebastian asked, moving aside so she could sit up. “What is _your_ story?”

She sat up, looking out the window sadly. “My mother died giving birth to my youngest sister, and my father died when I was fourteen,” she began quietly. “I became head of the family household, having to watch over my younger brother and sister, and right when it seemed that our family was going to crash, I was offered a job to take out all who opposed the Queen. However, due to the rapid success of our family once more over time, I was suspected of being a witch.”

He nodded knowledgably. “Yes, witch hunts _were_ quite popular,” he agreed. “So… I suppose that you-“

“Yes,” she cut off, closing her eyes, shuddering at the memory, “I was tried and found guilty without any solid evidence when I was sixteen, and then… I was burned at the stake.”

“You must have been terrified,” he said gently, “and in so much agony.”

Anna dipped her head, unaware that her entire body was shaking from her inner terror. “It was a slow and painful death,” she admitted in a shaky voice. “If I ever see fire, I can still hear my own screams on that day…”

Sebastian was honestly surprised that Anna was revealing so much of her past to him. “Why do you actually answer me truthfully, Anna?” he implored curiously.

“You _are_ protecting me, aren’t you?” she pointed out. “You should at least know what I’m afraid of.”

He blinked at her incredulously. “But isn’t there the possibility that I might be lying, My Lady?” he suggested.

Anna chuckled, looking at him with kind eyes. “Sebastian, you’ve said it before yourself,” she pointed out, “you don’t lie.”

Sebastian chuckled, shaking his head. “Very true,” he said with a sigh. “My my, I never imagined that my words would be sent right back at me.”

“But it’s true, isn’t it?” she pressed, stretching her arms as she stood up. “You _won’t_ lie to either me or Ciel, right?”

He remained silent, but nodded.

“In any case,” she continued, “after my death, I awoke as an angel, and my job as the Queen’s Watchdog was passed down to the noble Phantomhive household generation by generation, and now… the duty has fallen onto Ciel.”

Sebastian became a little suspicious. “It sounds like you’ve been watching the Phantomhive family for a long time.”

Anna nodded. “Being the Queen’s Watchdog is _not_ an easy task,” she told him, “as I suppose you’ve realized by now. It must be difficult guarding Ciel sometimes.”

“If one who serves as a Phantomhive Butler could not protect his master, then where would we be?” he responded easily.

She shrugged. “Very true, very true,” she agreed.

“You have a remarkable human side to you, Anna,” Sebastian complimented. “I’m not sure of the words to fit you, but just… remarkable. Skilled, passionate, caring, and obviously beautiful.” His crimson eyes scanned delicately over her form.

She chuckled. “Coming from a demon, I’m a little flattered,” she commented with a blush, looking him over. “You’re not that bad yourself. You went one-on-one with a psychotic angel and won.”

Sebastian smiled, reaching over to stroke her cheek. “You’re a very, _very_ beautiful angel, Anna,” he sighed. “I think I may be falling for you.”

The angel immediately pulled away, eyes wide in surprise. Before she could speak, Sebastian drove himself at her, his lips meeting hers perfectly.

“Sebastian, what are you-?” she cut off, her face turning red.

He shushed her by running a fingered glove over her lips. “Shhh…” he hushed gently, eying her smooth, perfect mouth. “I want you, Anna…”

“Absolutely not,” she told him. “You’re a demon and I’m an angel, there’s no question about it. We can’t be together.”

 _“Anna!”_ Fang hissed from outside. _“I’m coming in there! I don’t care what’s going on! I don’t trust you being in there with a demon for so long!”_

Anna put a reasonable amount of distance between herself and Sebastian before calling for the cat to come in. The cat pushed into the room, glaring at Sebastian suspiciously.

“I’m sorry if I made you worry, Fang,” she apologized to her friend sincerely. “I’m alright now.”

 _So it seems that I’m not the liar after all,_ Sebastian thought. _Are you planning on keeping this a secret from all of the people that care about you, Anna?_

 _It seems like a bad idea, doesn’t it?_ She echoed into his head, shooting him a glance. _I can hear your thoughts if you’re not paying attention and guarding them well, remember?_

 _“Can you two_ please _not leave me out of this conversation?”_ Fang demanded irritably. _“I would very much like to know what’s going on, Anna. Where did you go? What happened?”_

She bit her lip, looking at Fang sadly. “I was taking a safe flight around, and then I don’t know what happened, but I saw a flash of black, and the next thing I knew, I had a black star pentagram imprinted on my left collarbone, and it was burning,” she explained, and the cat hissed in realization. “Yes, Fang, I’ve been marked by a Greater Demon; I’ve been marked to die. I don’t know _who_ did it; I don’t know _why_ they did it; and I don’t know _how_ they did it.”

 _“Who else knows about this?!”_ the angelic cat demanded.

“So far, only you and Sebastian,” she answered softly. “I don’t know whether it’s a good idea to tell Ciel, and I know Michael will be both worried and furious. Sebastian says that this means that the value of my soul has gone up.”

Fang flicked his tail. _“And that’s not a good thing,”_ he said, _“we can only be thankful that an angel’s soul cannot be stolen so easily, otherwise you’d be brought back into Heaven right away.”_

“Oh?” Sebastian said, intrigued. “And why so?”

“We can’t tell you,” Anna responded gently as Fang hissed at the demon. “It’s the angels’ special secret. I trust that you have your _own_ secrets to hide as well.”

He nodded, and Fang turned to Anna. _“You_ must _tell Michael so that he’s aware of this,”_ he advised.

“I’d rather not…” she murmured nervously. “I know he’s not going to take it well, so I’d rather not tell him myself. I’d avoid telling him altogether if I could help it.”

Sebastian pulled out his pocket watch and looked at the time. “Oh my, oh my,” he sighed, “I apologize for interrupting this matter of utmost importance, however, we must get going to Undertaker’s shop.”

“Ah yes,” Anna agreed, standing up, “the infamous Soul Reaper, now-retired. Telling Michael will have to wait, Fang, but I _will_ tell him… sometime. But for the moment, we must get going. I’ll have Maylene take care of Adrian if he needs anything.”

 _“Fine,”_ Fang reluctantly agreed, _“let’s get Ciel and go.”_

Anna shook her head. “You’re staying here, Fang,” she addressed. “I need you to help take care of Adrian and inform Michael of my situation while I’m gone. I don’t think I want to be here when he finds out…”

The cat nodded. _“I understand,”_ he said, turning to Sebastian, flicking his tail demandingly, _“protect her, Sebastian. Don’t you_ dare _allow Anna to get hurt, or else you’re in_ big _trouble.”_

Sebastian politely bowed. “I understand.”

 

Arriving at Undertaker’s shop in the streets of London, Sebastian rapped twice before opening the door, stepping into the coffin-filled room after Ciel and Anna.

A dark-cloaked man with long dirty grey hair covering his eyes wearing a hat grinned widely at them. He really did look like a Grim Reaper sometimes. Beside him stood a frigid man wearing glasses and a suit, a long, retractable stick in his hand.  

“Welcome, Earl Phantomhive,” Undertaker greeted darkly. “What brings you to my shop today?”

“Sebastian~♥!” a sing-song voice shouted, and a red-cloaked, red-haired, red-eyed man leaped at Sebastian with arms outstretched.

Easily, the butler dodged his advance and allowed the Soul Reaper to fall to the ground. He frowned as he got up, revealing sharp, pointy teeth.

“Well… this is definitely not what I expected,” Anna couldn’t help but comment, looking around at the dark-looking room, filled with coffins.

“Grell Sutcliffe, what are you doing here?” Ciel demanded.

“Not often do I find a wishing angel enter my shop,” Undertaker commented, looking at Anna. “What is your name?”

She smiled. “Anna,” she responded.  

The red-loving Shinigami popped up in front of Anna, staring at her calculatingly. “A wishing angel?” he commented, “you don’t look much like-“

Immediately, the quiet man’s stick struck Grell over the head, and he glared down at him. “How dare you disrespect this legendary angel,” he scolded, bowing at Anna. “Welcome, I am William T. Spears.”

Grell’s head had a bump on it as he got onto his knees, tears flowing down his face. Pouting, he whined, “You’re so mean, Will. I thought you didn’t like angels, especially when that last one infiltrated the Shinigami Library.”

“I don’t know where you get _your_ information then,” William retorted gruffly, glancing back at Anna. “Wishing angels are in fact _in charge_ of our Dispatch Management Division of Shinigami. Wishing angel Anna is one of the most famous wishing angels known, and she’s often talked about among the DMD. That repulsive excuse for an angel the previous time in that monastery was _far_ less elegant that the one present before us.”

She scratched her head with a flush of embarrassment. “I appreciate your flattery,” she said, “but please allow me to be frank: we’re here strictly on business.”

“Ah yes,” Undertaker replied, looking at Ciel, “I take it you wish to see whether I have any information on Lord Gareth Druton’s son, Anthony Druton’s disappearance.”

Ciel nodded. “Do you know anything?”

Undertaker placed a long nail on his mouth before nodding, creepily hovering over to him. “First, Earl, give me _that_ ,” he beckoned, “bestow upon me the finest laughs, and I’ll tell you anything you need to know. I lost last time to that butler of yours, but I won’t this time.”

The young earl growled in frustration, but Anna smiled at him.

“Let _me_ take care of this, Ciel,” she chided. “Don’t worry, this will be quick.”

“Ooh…” Undertaker murmured, “I’ve never gotten a laugh from an angel before.”

The angel smiled, walking over to the retired Shinigami and whispering into his ear briefly before he burst out laughing, Anna graciously stepping back from the ruckus she caused back over to Ciel and Sebastian.

“Well… that wasn’t too hard,” she said with an innocent smile.

Sebastian raised an eyebrow with an amused smirk on his face. Ciel, however, looked a little impatient, though he patiently waited for Undertaker to stop laughing.

“So if I may so ask,” Will began, looking at Anna, “why are you with a demon and his master?”

“Ah, an intriguing question,” she replied easily, “I’m here to grant Ciel Phantomhive’s dearest wish, but since he doesn’t _have_ any for the time being, I’m here to stay by his side until he does. I’m also here on a promise I made a while back.”

The Shinigami looked unimpressed, glaring at Sebastian warily. “And you’re not repulsed at… that _vermin’s_ presence?”

“How _dare_ you insult my beloved Sebby as ‘vermin’!” Grell pouted.

 _Sebby? Well… I will keep that in mind._ Anna thought as she blinked at Will, ignoring Grell’s comment. “Not in the slightest,” she said, smiling at Sebastian, “he’s been quite gracious to me, in fact.”

Sebastian offered her a smooth bow. “All the better to serve you with, My Lady,” he teased as Undertaker began to sober up.

“Ahhh… I have seen Utopia,” he sighed contently, “I truly admire you, Lady Anna. Now… onto business. Please, have a seat, Earl Phantomhive.”

As Ciel took a seat on a coffin, Grell leaned closer to Anna, whispering, “What did you say to him?”

“Oh, just a little joke I picked up during work one day,” she responded intuitively.

Sebastian glanced at her briefly and couldn’t help but admire the independent angel before him. Perhaps making her fall in love with him may prove harder than he expected… especially when it seemed that just the opposite was beginning to happen.

 _Now, now, Sebastian,_ he scolded himself privately, making sure that Anna couldn’t hear these thoughts, _you’ve been roaming around the human world for thousands of years, and within a few days you find yourself being attracted to an angel? What a mundane mistake to make, as if even I_ was _to have her fall in love with me and or vice versa, there would be a very little chance that we could actually_ be _together, considering we are two entirely different species._

 _Sebastian… Hey, Sebastian,_ Anna’s voice broke into his musings. _You look distracted. Could you at least_ try _to look like you’re paying attention please?_

“So… what can you tell us, Undertaker?” Ciel implored.

“As I’m sure you know, Lord Druton does secret underground deals by making powerful drugs,” he began. “Obviously, this has gotten him into trouble, proven by his son’s kidnapping. Apparently, there were documents sent to him, but neither he nor Scotland Yard has revealed what those letters contain. So far there are no clear suspects, but there are reasons to believe that an associate of his, Lord Mitch Ridley, may be one of the prime suspects.”

Ciel shook his head. “I’ve already checked Lord Ridley’s alibi, and it’s solid, it can’t have been him,” he replied.

Undertaker chuckled, “Just what I’d expect as the Queen’s Watchdog.”

“Anyone else you can think of, Undertaker?” Anna implored.

“Well… it _would_ prove more helpful if we could get those documents from Lord Druton,” he replied. “Otherwise it would take a little while to go through the Shinigami Library Archives to get any decent information.”

“Hmmm…” Ciel murmured. “Then we have no choice but to try and get the information from him ourselves directly.”

“We can do that when we go to the dance later this week,” Anna said. “Speaking of, Ciel, it’s about time we start shaping up your dancing skills before we go, otherwise I’m going to be really worried about how you’re going to grow up.”

“Hey!” Ciel resented. “I can dance just fine!”

She chuckled, looking at William and Grell. “What are you both doing here anyway?”

“We’re investigating a case of mysterious deaths,” William answered.

Grell nodded in agreement. “We thought that Undertaker could help us,” he added, “but we couldn’t get much information either.”

“Hmmm…” Anna hummed thoughtfully, glancing outside. “Something strange is brewing out there, but I can’t put my finger on it…”

Sebastian patted her lightly on the head. “You’re just thinking too much, Anna,” he assured her as she glared at his belittling of her. “Everything’s just fine.”

She sighed, “If you say so, Sebastian. But anyway, we should get going soon, Ciel.”

The young earl sighed. “Very well, Undertaker, if you should find anything, please have a message sent to me. Sebastian, Anna, let’s go.”

 


	7. Lessons with Anna and Sebastian

“Where’s Fang?” Ciel inquired.

“Went up to talk to Michael,” she answered, “thought it would be best for him to talk to Michael because of some reasons.”

Ciel glared. “What _reasons_?” he implored.

“It’s only on a need-to-know basis, Ciel,” she assured him. “Don’t worry, you aren’t in any immediate danger.”

“Now… shall we please proceed with the lesson?” Sebastian reminded.

“Ah, of course. Now, Ciel,” Anna addressed, glancing at the young earl as Sebastian stood in front of her with a smile, “pay close attention and see how a gentleman is to treat a lady when he asks her to dance.”

Sebastian bowed smoothly to Anna, offering his hand out to her. “May I have this dance, Lady Anna?” he implored.

“I would be honoured, Sebastian,” she replied, placing her hand in his as Sebastian drew her into his arms, using his demonic abilities to make the record start playing, and they took formal dancing position, Sebastian’s hand resting on her lower back while his other cradled hers.

“Keep the lady close to you so that you are able to lead her easier,” Sebastian instructed Ciel. “After a few natural turns, she will quickly adapt to the rhythm of your steps. This will be easier for you to wordlessly instruct her to make a turn and change directions.”

“Always look your dancing partner in the eyes,” Anna continued, staring deeply into Sebastian’s crimson orbs. “It shows a sign of respect and acknowledgement. In addition, it makes you appear to be proficient in dancing, as you do not need to watch where you step as you dance.”

Sebastian nodded in agreement. “Smiling would also be of some good as well, Young Master,” he added. “Otherwise the lady may believe that you do not enjoy her company. And how could you not enjoy the company of such a beautiful and delightful angel?”

“You flatter me, Sebastian,” she teased, flirting back with a gentle tone. “And who wouldn’t enjoy the company of a remarkable, handsome demon?” She reached up to caress Sebastian’s cheek softly, and he tilted his head into her hand, closing his eyes as they still danced.

 _Ah, so warm…_ Sebastian thought, ensuring that she couldn’t hear his thoughts, _Anna… I can’t believe I’m thinking this… but I may be falling in love with you… even though it_ should _be the other way around._

Anna withdrew her hand and pulled out of the formal position, turning to remove the record from the player. She turned to Ciel with a smile. “Are you ready to try, Ciel?”

Ciel nodded, biting his lip nervously as he walked over to her and cautiously placed a small hand on her back, the other holding hers.

“Don’t forget to lead from the heel, Young Master,” Sebastian reminded.

“Now, first few steps,” Anna instructed. “Ready? One, two, three, one, two, three, one, two-“

The thirteen-year-old took a misstep and stepped into her, and Sebastian sighed.

“You’ve a lot to learn, Young Master,” he commented. “You need to be able to read Anna’s movements, and as you adapt to her movements, she’ll adapt to yours.”

“Sebastian, that makes no sense!” Ciel barked.

Sebastian looked at his master in surprise. “Really?” he implored, “I thought that made perfect sense…” He place a hand under his chin thoughtfully. “Strange… it makes perfect sense to me.”

“Well, perfect sense to you doesn’t mean perfect sense to me!” Ciel complained.

Anna sighed, and suddenly her mark seared lightly, and she winced, pulling away from Ciel as her right hand pressed hard against her collarbone.

“Anna!” Sebastian gasped, going over to her and placing his hands on her shoulders. “Are you okay? Is the mark hurting?”

“S-Sebastian,” she choked, her face contorted in pain.

Ciel was so confused. “Sebastian, I demand you tell me what’s going on!” he ordered. “What mark?”

“Anna’s been marked by a Greater Demon, she’s being hunted, and whoever this Greater Demon is, they are powerful,” Sebastian answered, removing Anna’s hand as he pressed a thumb against what he knew to be the center of the mark, and Anna gasped as the pain slowly receded.

She sighed heavily in relief as the pain finally vanished. Sebastian held her up as she began to fall back against him, and he smiled at her.

“Better, Anna?” he implored.

“Yes,” she responded softly, taking a heavy breath as she still felt remnants of the pain stinging inside of her. “Thank you, Sebastian. What did you do though?”

He smiled, stroking her cheek gently. “It’s a temporary solution, but I’ve placed a seal to prevent the mark from doing you anymore harm,” he told her.

Anna sighed. “Again, thank you, Sebastian,” she repeated. “Now, shall we continue, Ciel?”

“Are you sure you’re alright, Anna?” Sebastian pressed the matter further, knowing that even an angel would probably still be in a little pain after going through something like that.

“Yeah,” she replied, “I’ll be okay. Don’t worry about me, Sebby.”

The demon raised an eyebrow. “’Sebby’?” he noted distastefully, “Really, Anna?”

Anna chuckled. “But it’s cute, Sebby,” she teased with a wink. “Come on, cheer up. It’s not _that_ bad of a nickname.”

Sebastian sighed, realizing that Anna was trying to lighten the mood while pressing the attention away from her. “Fine, fine,” he replied. “Let’s continue with the lesson. Young Master?”

Ciel looked at Anna and she nodded, stepping forward to take formal dance position.

“Come on, Ciel,” she encouraged, “I know you can do it. Just slide forward like you’re skating.”

Ciel silently gulped, and began his step, Anna following his movements. For a moment it seemed like Ciel was getting the hang of it, but then he stepped into her again.

The angel sighed heavily, “This… could take some time…”

Sebastian chuckled. “Even having a demon _and_ an angel coach you isn’t enough, it seems,” he joked, which earned him a meaningful glare from his master as he walked back to his desk.

There was a knock on the door, and it pushed open, Fang padding into the room with a heavy sigh. _“Good afternoon,”_ the angelic cat greeted.

“Ah, welcome back, Fang,” Anna replied, “I’m surprised Michael isn’t with you. I thought he’d burst into the room to yell at me.”

 _“Oh… I had Kieran restrain him before I told him the news,”_ the feline explained. _“It was quite humorous if it wasn’t so gravely important. But yes… Michael is furious. Kieran isn’t too impressed either.”_

She bit her lip with a frown, displeased. “Hmmm… that isn’t good,” she said, sighing. “Well… I’ll have a chat with Kieran later about this, see what he can come up with to help me out. Any luck tracking Ash?”

 _“Well… they’re looking into it, but the brand_ did _help out,”_ Fang replied. _“What about you? Anything interesting happen in my absence?”_

“We _were_ trying to teach the Young Master how to properly dance,” Sebastian answered. “Unfortunately, his skills are still too abominable to witness.”

“Hey!” Ciel exclaimed.

Fang meowed in laughter before turning back to Anna. _“By the way, it seems that a case of Angel Fever is breaking out, so I’ve been told to tell you to be very careful.”_

“Ohh… not Angel Fever…” Anna sighed worriedly.

“What’s Angel Fever?” Ciel implored.

Sebastian looked at his master. “It’s very similar to the human fever except obviously for angels,” he began. “It began when an angel contracted it from a human a long time ago, and it spread among angels through physical contact, even just a handshake. When an angel has Angel Fever, they are feverish, and act slightly like they’re intoxicated. It’s quite amusing, in fact.”

“You sadistic jerk,” Anna pouted, “Angel Fever is nothing to laugh about. If we contract Angel Fever, we completely do not act like ourselves, and we could even accidently reveal any of our secrets. Worse yet, we often don’t have any memory of what occurred while we had Angel Fever.”

 _“And the medical department isn’t able to heal Angel Fever,”_ Fang added, flicking his tail. _“If Anna should contract Angel Fever, we can’t do anything but wait till it passes. Best would be to lock her in her room until it passes.”_

The angel rolled her eyes. “Thanks, Fang,” she said dryly. “Anyway, we will continue your dance lessons tomorrow, Ciel. Fang and I will go to prepare dinner while Sebastian teaches your next lesson.” With a curt bow, she and Fang left the room to head to the kitchen.

“Get your books ready, Young Master, while I prepare for our lesson,” Sebastian advised. “Today’s lesson is the history of the Phantomhive family.”

 

 _“What are you planning to make for dinner, Anna?”_ Fang implored, looking up at Anna as he padded beside her.

“Well…” she began, “I think a nice steamed fish with a side of seasoned mashed potatoes and spring salad with vegetables grown here on the mansion should be suitable. Then we’ll serve lemon meringue pie for dessert.”

Arriving at the kitchen, Anna and Fang found Bard, Finnian, and Maylene standing in the kitchen, looking around.

“Are you guys looking for something?” Anna implored.

“We thought we heard a mouse in here,” Finny answered.

“Hmmm…” the angel murmured, glancing down at Fang. “Fang, check it out. Oh, but if you find any mice, please scare them _outside_.”

The cat immediately began trekking around the kitchen, paws quietly stalking the ground, and Anna smiled. “Would you three like to help me prepare dinner?” she offered.

“Eh?!” the three servants gasped in shock.

“Sebastian _never_ lets us help out with dinner!” Maylene protested.

Finny looked down at his hands guiltily. “I’m too strong and clumsy so Sebastian told me to stay away from the kitchenware,” he told her.

“Nonsense!” Anna replied confidently. “I will need your strength to help me strain the potatoes afterwards and mash them. Plus, it’s no fun to cook alone.”

“B-But Sebastian-“ Bard began in protest.

She shook her head. “Oh, forget about him. Old Sebastian could always learn some new tricks,” she argued with a smile. “It’s more fun to cook dinner together, and I could use all your help. So… you guys interested?”

“Yeah!” they cheered, and Anna gave a curt, satisfied nod.

“Tonight, we’re serving steamed fish with seasoned mashed potatoes and a spring salad. Bard, I need you to grind the herbs,” she directed as she washed her hands, tying on her kitchen apron. “Finny, please go out and pick some vegetables for the salad. With _your_ strength, gathering them should be easy. Maylene, I’d like you to help peel the potatoes. In the meanwhile, I will work on the fish. If everyone does their part right, I’m absolutely sure dinner will be delicious!”

 

“Well, Young Master,” Sebastian sighed, “shall we begin with this afternoon’s lesson?”

“Fine, fine,” Ciel replied impatiently.

After ten minutes of Sebastian’s lecturing, Ciel was bored. “Sebastian, could we skip all this and please just tell me the most _notable_ Phantomhives?”

“As you wish,” Sebastian replied, flipping through his clipboard to present it to Ciel. It was a picture of a beautiful young woman with dark hair and a petite, slim figure. “She was the first Phantomhive to become the Queen’s Watchdog; Lady Annabelle Marie Phantomhive. Kind-hearted and strong, she had to raise both her younger siblings after her parents’ deaths. Leaving behind a fiancé, she died at the age of seventeen, burned at the stake on her birthday. She was accused of being a witch. Her younger brother is one of your predecessors, as after his sister’s death, he was forced to become head of the Phantomhive family, eventually assuming the role of the Queen’s Watchdog, and thus… the family tradition continued.”

“You were around during that time, right, Sebastian?” Ciel implored. “Did you meet any of my ancestors?”

The demon smiled. “Unfortunately not, as I was elsewhere at that time,” he said. “But you know, our very own angel maid happens to also serve previously as the Queen’s Watchdog before the tradition was passed to the Phantomhive family. Perhaps she may have met your ancestors? She told me that she would have been sixteen at the time.”

“Whatever,” he replied. “It doesn’t matter now. Let’s continue on with the lesson.”

“As you wish, My Lord,” Sebastian replied. “Next, Lord Richard Franklin Phantomhive…”

 

Carefully, Anna carved the fish as Bard was mixing together the herbs. Maylene was now polishing up the dishes while Finny was mashing the potatoes in a bowl with a masher.

“Excellent work, everyone,” Anna said. “Dinner is going to be wonderful.”

Sebastian soon walked into the kitchen, and his eyes widened at the others helping Anna make dinner. “Oh my, oh my,” he murmured. “This is quite impressive.”

“Ah, great timing, Sebastian,” Anna greeted. “If you don’t mind could you help me watch the pot boiling? The others and I are a little busy right now, and I sent Fang back to my room to watch over Adrian in case he wakes up. I went and gave him some warm milk a little while ago, so he should be sound asleep.”

The stunned butler went over to stir the pot as directed by Anna, and he told her gently, “You are very amazing in order to get this lot to help you. They usually just cause me nothing but trouble unless it’s defending the mansion.”

“That’s only because you only look at their flaws, Sebastian,” she replied simply. “Sure, it’s easy to point out people’s flaws, because everyone has them, even you and me. But it takes an open heart and mind in order to see where people truly shine. So where these guys might not be strong in one area, they’re amazing in another.”

The demon stopped what he was doing to truly smile and admire the elegant angel before him. “You truly _are_ amazing, Anna,” he commented softly.

“Thank you, Sebastian,” the angel responded with a kind smile. “I’m sure dinner will be wonderful thanks to everyone’s hard work.”

 

After Anna and Sebastian had served Ciel his dinner, they were both cleaning up in the kitchen, and Anna was secretly making a special dessert for the servants of the Phantomhive household.

“Hey Sebastian,” Anna began suddenly, “how did you end up getting so attached to Ciel’s soul anyway, if you don’t mind my asking, that is?”

He blinked at her momentarily before returning his attention to his work. “I’ve been around for a long time, as you can imagine, and I’m tired of just knowing how to eat. I decided that I’d raise my next meal so I could eventually enjoy the best dinner; _that_ soul ended up being my Young Master’s,” he explained. “I wouldn’t say that I’m _attached_ to his soul. I just want the best dinner in the end.”

“Hmmm…” she murmured, staring off into the distance. “Hey Sebastian… have you ever… well… you know, fallen in love with any humans before?”

The demon was surprised at how personal, and rather, how ridiculous her question was. “Of course not,” he replied stiffly. “Humans always are consumed by greed. I never find them as anything else but souls for us demons to consume.”

Anna sighed sadly. “It’s regretful that you feel that way, Sebastian,” she said gently. “Though to say, even _while_ I was alive I didn’t fall in love either. Life was _far_ too short for my liking. But still… even as an angel, it is hard when you grow attached to souls, because you know that they’ll eventually have to depart from this world.”

“However,” he continued, reaching to twirl several strands of her hair in between his fingers, his master’s orders clear in his mind, “my feelings regarding angels and demons perhaps may be different, as I find myself falling gradually for the beautiful angel who stands by my side.”

She pulled away. “Sebastian, stop teasing me,” she scolded softly, a blush covering her cheeks. “I know a demon could never fall in love with me. Why should that be any different now?” Sighing, she shook her head, pulling out a box of truffles from the pantry, offering Sebastian the box. “Aside from that, would you mind testing one for me? I’m not sure whether they’re bitter or not.”

He obliged, slipping a piece of dark truffle in between his lips. Pondering a moment, he looked thoughtful… _looked_ thoughtful.

“So? How is it?” she implored.

He smiled at her as he walked a little closer to her. “You tell me,” he replied, pulling her swiftly into a kiss, his arm wrapping around her waist, pressing her against him, and she didn’t resist.

The truffle was indeed a little bitter, Anna decided, but his kiss was sweet.


	8. Midnight Troubles

“Bard, Finny, Maylene,” Anna called, carrying over a covered silver platter, Sebastian walking beside her, “thank you for your hard work today.” She turned to smile at the senior butler, Tanaka. “And thanks for the suggestion for the tea, Tanaka. I think Ciel really liked it.”

“Ho, ho, ho,” the butler replied merrily, sipping at his teacup.

“Thanks for allowing us to help!” Finny replied cheerfully.

Anna place the platter on the servants’ table and removed the cover, revealing a beautifully-made lemon meringue pie, with shreds of truffle sprinkled overtop it.

“Wow!” the three servants gasped.

She smiled. “I thought you all deserved something special as appreciation for your hard work, right, Sebastian?”

“Yes,” the demon butler agreed as he set down several plates and cutlery, “you all did very well today. Keep up the good work.”

“Is this really all for us?!” Bard exclaimed in amazement.

Anna nodded with a kind smile.

“Thanks Anna! Thanks Sebastian!” Finny thanked gratefully.

Sebastian shook his head. “This was all Anna’s idea,” he retorted. “If you should be thanking anyone, it should just be her.”

She smiled at him before looking back at them. “I’ve made sure it’s not too sweet so that you all don’t feel like you’ve consumed too much sugar,” she informed them. “Enjoy, okay? Meanwhile… Sebastian and I will go tuck Ciel in,” she said.

“By the way, Anna,” Finny began, “I’ve been curious, but why do you address the Young Master by his first name?”

She turned back to look at them with slightly regretful eyes. “I’m afraid I’m not going to be working here as a Phantomhive servant for a long time,” she informed gravely. “Ciel’s hiring me is more or less conditional. Therefore, I thought it was best not to lay down too many ties to him, especially in the presence of other noble guests.”

Without warning, all three servants were at her feet, hugging her legs, tears in their eyes, surprising Anna.

“W-What’s gotten into you three?!” she gasped in shock.

“Y-You won’t be staying with us?!” Maylene cried. “Y-You’re actually going to be leaving someday?!”

She nodded sadly, pulling them off her. “Don’t worry,” she assured, “that day won’t be coming too soon.” _So long as Ciel doesn’t figure out what his heart’s wish is,_ she added silently, and Sebastian dipped his head in her direction, his eyes secretly shining in affection.

“You’re like the female counterpart of Sebastian,” Finny commented. “You are both the perfect servants.”

 _Well…_ Sebastian thought, _we_ are _both not of this world. An angel and a demon, working side-by-side to protect a human soul; who would have ever predicted something like_ this _would happen?_

Anna turned away. “Even _we_ have our flaws,” she said quietly. Clearing her throat and the souring mood, she headed to the door and smiled back at them. “Well… I will bid you good night.”

“And so will I,” Sebastian chimed. “Good night.”

“Good night!” Bard, Finny and Maylene bid, and both Sebastian and Anna left.

As the four servants sat down, Bard began to cut the pie into slices.

“We should get Sebastian and Anna together!” Finny declared boldly.

Maylene nodded quickly. “You’re right! They would be absolutely _perfect_ together!” she agreed. “W-We should do something!”

“Like what?” Bard implored. “It’s not like _we_ could do anything special to set the two of them up together. They’d probably figure it out before anything could actually happen, and then Sebastian would have our tails for it.”

“We could make Anna the head maid!” Maylene announced suddenly. “Why not? Sebastian _is_ the head butler. Why not make Anna the head maid?”

“There _is_ a badge meant for the head maid of the Phantomhive family,” another voice said, and all three servants turned to see Real Tanaka sitting next to them. “Another crest was created for the Phantomhive head maid, but there was none that was appointed in the end. _That_ could be given to Miss Anna.”

“Yes! That’s a great idea!” Finny cheered. “Do you know where the crest is, Mr. Tanaka?!”

Tanaka nodded, pulling out the crest from his inside vest pocket and placing it on the table before them. Then he transformed back into the other Tanaka.

“This is perfect!” Bard said happily. “Anna’s going to be so surprised!”

 

As Anna and Sebastian quietly proceeded to Ciel’s office to fetch him, Sebastian ran his fingers through her hair, bringing him alarmingly close to her. But she did not flinch nor retaliate in any way.

“Anna…” he murmured, glancing over her delicate form, “how do you feel about me?”

“I-I don’t know…” she replied, averting his gaze. “Sometimes you just… sometimes you infuriate me. But other times… other times I feel like… as if… I just want to hold you tight and never let you go… I don’t know, Sebastian. I have mixed feelings.”

He advanced on her, his lips inches from hers and she didn’t move. Silently, Sebastian stared into her eyes momentarily before he kissed her very gently for a moment before pulling away. Her eyes remained closed.

“How was that?” he whispered softly, still close to her.

Her eyes slowly half-opened and she glanced at his lips before meeting his eyes. “Kiss me again,” she breathed, and he smiled.

“Yes, My Lady,” he murmured clearly before meeting her lips once more. Anna kissed back, and one of Sebastian’s hands wrapped around her waist while he placed the other on her cheek, deepening their passionate kiss. She rested a hand on his chest, the other threading her fingers into his hair, pressing him closer.

“Anna…” he breathed between kisses, “we have to still… the Young Master…”

She withdrew from him completely, a charming blush staining her cheeks.  “Sebastian…” she murmured, and she dropped to her knees as unbearable pain consumed her mind and body. She was unconscious before she was caught by Sebastian.

“Anna! Anna!” he exclaimed, but she didn’t respond. He quickly gathered her into his arms and held her against his chest before tugging at the collar of her dress, reaching down her uniform to allow his fingers to brush over the mark, and he gasped, pulling his hand away immediately as it seared him. “So that’s what caused this,” he murmured before fixing her uniform, lifting her into his arms as he swiftly carried her back to her room.

 _“What is the meaning of this?!”_ Fang demanded with a hiss. _“What did you do to Anna?!”_

“Absolutely nothing to hurt her,” Sebastian replied. “It’s the Greater Demon’s mark that did this. Apparently it broke my seal and injured her further. _That_ is what’s doing this to her. For now, I will put the Young Master to sleep, and then I’ll return to see what I can do.”

Turning quickly to leave, Sebastian paused, turning back to plant a soft kiss on Anna’s forehead, infuriating Fang, who immediately leaped to scratch at Sebastian, but he leaped back.

 _“Get away from her, you demon!”_ the feline hissed.

Sebastian smiled. “I will return soon.”

 

“Sebastian,” Ciel muttered, glancing up from his papers as the butler walked in. The young earl’s face was illuminated only by the light of the candleholder beside him on the table. “Where is Anna?”

Sebastian smiled widely, hiding all deception. “The maid wasn’t feeling all too well, so I sent her back to her room while I tended to your services,” he told him smoothly.

“Very well,” he responded. “Sebastian, I am tired. I will retire for the night from my work.”

“I have a hot bath already prepared for you, Young Master,” Sebastian informed.

Ciel put down his papers on the table and walked past Sebastian, and the butler picked up the candleholder, swiftly following after his master.

 

 _Mmm… where am I?_ Anna thought as she fluttered open her eyes, wincing at a slight pain in her head.

 _“Are you alright, Anna?”_ Fang demanded, appearing in the side of her vision.

“Yes,” she breathed, “I’m going to be fine. Don’t worry about me.” She slowly sat up, a hand on her head as she felt the pulsing pain receding. “Where’s Sebastian?”

 _“He left to go tend to Ciel,”_ the cat answered. _“There is definitely something wrong with that demon.”_

Anna blinked in confusion. “What do you mean?” she implored curiously.

Fang flicked his tail before leaping down to the ground from her bedside. _“That demon kissed you on the forehead before he left!”_ he meowed angrily, _“That jerk!”_

Adrian began to wail in his cradle from the cat’s radiated tension, and Anna gasped, rushing over to tend to the baby.

“Oh, o-oh no, shhh…” Anna hushed, picking the baby up into her arms and cradling him as she tried to hush Adrian. “Shhh… shhh… it’s alright. Shhh… it’s alright, Adrian… hush now…”

 _“Sorry,”_ Fang apologized.

As Adrian began to quiet down through Anna’s warm, reassuring presence, she nodded at the cat, rocking the baby back and forth as she sat on the side of her bed.

“Fang… I have to be honest with you,” she began unsurely. “About Sebastian…”

 _“What about him?”_ the feline implored, irritated even by the mention of the rather infuriating demon.

Anna looked into her partner and friend’s eyes deeply. “I think I may be falling in love with him,” she admitted quietly. “Every time he kisses me… I feel… my heart soars in my chest, and-“

 _“Absolutely not!”_ Fang cut off brusquely, _“What about Michael? I thought you loved him!”_

“I do!” Anna defended, trying not to disturb the child she was cradling against her chest. Then she decided to place the child into a heavy slumber as to not be disturbed. “But… I just don’t love Michael romantically… not in the same way I do Sebastian…”

The cat leapt up next to her and stared up sadly into her twin azure orbs. _“Anna…”_ he said in a sad voice, _“listen to yourself. You’re falling in love with a demon. For all we know, Ciel Phantomhive could have ordered Sebastian to make you fall in love with him so that you would not leave Ciel’s side.”_

“I don’t know…” she sighed, rocking the child kindly. “Sebastian is not an easy demon to read, but then again, none of them are. Only time will tell, I suppose.”

 _“Anna… you can’t tie yourself to this demon,”_ Fang told her. _“You know that you will have to eventually leave, either back up to Heaven or else go to tend to someone else’s wishes. You can’t make permanent ties to anyone.”_

“But he’s not human, Fang,” she replied. “He won’t die that easily.”

 _“You’re right,”_ the cat replied decisively, _“he’s_ not _human. He’s a_ demon. _You can’t do this, Anna. You know this as well as I do; an angel and a demon could never be together. He’d have to work_ very _hard to prove that he is worth the love of a holy angel. Only_ then _perhaps he may be a valid candidate to be worthy of your affection.”_

“But what if I already am falling in love with him, Fang?” Anna whispered conflictingly. “I can’t just _ignore_ my feelings for him…”

 _“Anna…”_ he murmured, and she went to go place baby Adrian back into his cradle.

There was a brief knock on the door, and Anna called out, “Come in, Sebastian.”

The demon butler pushed open the door, smiling at her and her cat. “How are you feeling right now Anna?”

“Much better, thank you,” she responded, feeling the thought of his ‘affection’ for her being a lie weigh like a ton of lead in her heart. “Ciel’s asleep?”

He nodded, walking over to touch her cheek, and Fang hissed at the demon. Immediately, Sebastian moved close to kiss Anna, and she kissed him back, infuriating Fang even further.

 _“Anna!”_ Fang exclaimed, and she pulled back from the demon abruptly, but Sebastian furthered his advances, crashing his lips against hers passionately as he fell deeper and deeper in love with the beautiful angel.

Kissing her furiously, he pushed her down onto the bed as he embraced her tightly against his chest.

“Sebastian- S-Sebastian, stop,” she breathed, pushing him away. She twisted her head to the side, and he placed soft kisses down the side of her neck. “S-Sebastian!”

The demon pulled away abruptly, looking at her. “Anna,” he said.

“Sebastian…” she told him, pushing him away as she walked up to the door, facing away from him. “You don’t love me… do you… it was all just Ciel’s orders, wasn’t it…”

“That’s not true,” he replied. “I really _do_ care about you, Anna.”

She whirled around, tears streaming freely down her face. “Don’t lie to me, Sebastian. Have you, or have you not been ordered by Ciel to make me fall in love with you?”

Sebastian was completely taken aback. “W-What?”

“Don’t avoid the question, Sebastian!” she cried. “Don’t lie to me! I know this was all on Ciel’s orders, wasn’t it!”

He nodded. “Yes, it was my master’s order to make you fall in love with me,” he admitted without hesitation. “But he said nothing about me having feelings for you. I have fallen in love with you, Anna. I don’t lie.”

She shook her head, pulling back against the door. “Don’t _lie_ to me, Sebastian Michaelis!” she wept tearfully. “Leave me, Sebastian. Get out of my sight.” She whipped open the door and ran out in a hurry, tears flying from her face.

“Anna!” Sebastian called, about to chase after her.

 _“Stop, Sebastian!”_ Fang hissed angrily, leaping in front of him. _“Don’t hurt Anna more than you already have! You’ve never loved her, have you! You’ve broken her heart, Sebastian. Don’t do any more damage that’s already been done to her fragile heart.”_

“You don’t understand, Fang,” Sebastian retorted. “I really _do_ love Anna. I don’t lie, remember? She doesn’t understand. It is very hard for a demon to grow affections, but even in the manner of just two days, I have grown very attached to this beloved angel. I’ll only say this once, so listen well, Fang. I love her.”

 

“Stupid Sebastian,” Anna wept quietly to herself as she sat outside on the mansion grounds, wrapping her wings around herself. “I don’t know what to do anymore…”

Without warning, a spark flared in her mind, and she turned to look up into the starry sky. There was something wrong, and immediately, she spread her wings and took to the skies, rushing towards the source of the problem.

She arrived on site a tall building in the middle of a field not far from the estate, and it was on fire. She heard a scream coming from inside, and immediately she swept into one of the higher windows, smashing through the window inside. Without warning, a sharp blade pierced through her wings, and she collapsed against the ground with a scream of pain. Turning to see her attacker, she was met by the fallen angel Ash.

“You pathetic fool!” he hissed, “Always the brave angel trying to play the heroine. You’re a fool, Anna, and you’re about to die.”

Anna immediately summoned up her own sword, but Ash stabbed at her before she could completely make its solid form. The end of the blade pierced into her left forearm, and she let out a cry of pain as her sword dissolved with her lack of focus.

“You’re going to die, Anna,” Ash told her, twisted his blade briefly before yanking it out. He propelled the blade down once more towards her side, and Anna expected pain, but none came.

“My, my,” Sebastian Michaelis murmured, standing over Anna and in front of Ash, gripping the blade in his hand, causing it to bleed. “I apologize, Anna, but I could not follow your last order. I am far too attracted to you to allow you to be out of my sights.”

“Demon!” Ash hissed at Sebastian, swinging his sword at him, but Sebastian dodged easily, grabbing Anna by the waist to carry her to safety.

Anna winced as Sebastian set her down, inspecting her trembling, injured wings. “You’re bleeding, Anna,” he told her. “Get out of here. I’ll take care of _him_.”

Ash chuckled before clicking his fingers once, and Anna’s breath hitched, her eyes widening with terrible fear. She screamed, shaking her head while her entire body shook with horror.

“What have you done?” Sebastian demanded, trying to wrap his arms around Anna’s shaking form as much as he could.

“One’s greatest fear… is also their greatest weakness…” the fallen angel chuckled darkly, Anna’s blood glimmering on the end of his blade.

 _Anna’s fear of fire…_ Sebastian thought instantly. _It doesn’t help that we’re in a burning building, either._

“NO!” Anna screamed, pushing away from Sebastian as she ran away from him, wrapping her arms around herself.

Immediately, Ash lunged at the demon with his blade, and Sebastian dodged easily. Instantly, Ash swung his sword at some of the burning wood walls and support. Instantly, burning beams began to fall from the roof… and towards Anna!

“Anna! Move!” Sebastian shouted at her, but she was paralyzed with fear.

Thoughts of her death haunted Anna’s mind. She could still hear her own screams of agony as the flames had engulfed her, smell the scorching stench of her flesh as it burned, and the sinking feeling in her heart that it wouldn’t end.

Without hesitation, Sebastian threw himself towards Anna defensively, and held up the pillars that were nearly going to fall on top of Anna. Without a second thought, Ash stabbed Sebastian through the lower torso, and Anna was snapped out of her trance with Sebastian’s pained gasp. Staring up into his pained twin crimson eyes, Anna realized what had happened.

“W-Why?” she whispered.

He smiled at her, even as a trickle of blood streamed down his lips. “It’s because I’ve realized something that’s unbelievable, even for me,” he told her gently. “I love you.”


	9. Blossoming Love

“S-Sebastian…” Anna’s eyes widened as she saw the truth in his pain-stricken orbs as he threw aside the burning pieces of wood before Ash yanked the blade from his body. Sebastian collapsed against Anna, and she held him against her chest, brushing his hair with her un-bloodied hand.

“Thank you, Sebastian,” she said softly, an aura of calm blues and whites pulsing into view around her, and immediately Ash receded, glaring before leaving by breaking through another window. The aura around Anna began to quench and quell the fires burning around them.

Very gently, Anna turned Sebastian in her arms, and brushed her fingers over the wound, but Sebastian was already out cold.

“ _That_ would explain why you were knocked out so simply,” she murmured as her aura disappeared, “This weak angel’s poison is what’s putting you to sleep so easily. Ah well… I guess I’ll tend to you when we head back on foot to the mansion. There’s no way I can fly with injured wings.”

“Anna…” Sebastian breathed softly, his eyes still shut.

“Sebastian,” she soothed affectionately. “Thank you for saving my life. How are you feeling?”

“Not well…” he muttered, eyes barely opening. “I feel so tired…”

Anna brushed his hair gently. “Shhh… just sleep,” she told him. “You need your rest. You’ll recover from both the wound and the poison completely in the morning. So sleep.”

Sebastian shut his eyes, muttering several words before letting out a heavy sigh. _“I love you…”_

“I love you too…” Anna admitted, knowing that he had _just_ missed her confession by a few seconds, kissing him gently on the head. “Now, it’s time to get out of here.”

 

Sebastian was being half-carried, half-dragged on Anna’s back through the empty, deserted field and under a dark, starry sky. They left behind the cold, now-quiet tower, the fires of Ash’s hatred quenched by Anna’s soothing aura.

Anna was exhausted. Her forearm was still heavily bleeding, and even though she had allowed her injured wings to dissipate away, she could still feel the pain inside her. She felt Sebastian’s regulated breathing on her cheek as his head lolled limply on her shoulder.

“Ugh…” Anna groaned tiredly. “Why couldn’t you have transformed into a crow or a cat first before you passed out? This would make both of our lives easier.”

_Plus… why did Ash decide to lure me out?_ She wondered. _Being the calculating fallen angel he is, there’s no way he would bother to fight a battle he can’t win. He would have obviously figured out that Sebastian would be here to help me… so… why?_

The angel fought against the pain of the open wound in her forearm, as the added strain of holding Sebastian on her back caused the bleeding to worsen, and she felt a little woozy from blood loss. Because Sebastian was taller than her, his feet dragged behind him that caused Anna to work a little harder. Anna sighed heavily with exhaustion from her heavy burden, and she looked up into the starry skies above her.

_What a beautiful sight,_ she thought, _if only it could be under better conditions. It would be nice if you were awake to see this too, Sebastian._

Anna suddenly felt Sebastian stir a little on her back, and she sighed, shaking her head.

She grumbled, knowing that he couldn’t hear her. “You owe me for this, Sebastian.”

 

_“Sebastian!” a warm voice called._

_Sebastian turned around to find himself in the middle of the foyer in the Phantomhive mansion, and he saw Anna running towards him cheerfully._

_“Anna,” he said, almost as if questionably. He blinked, and suddenly, the scene changed in front of him in an instant._

_Without warning, Anna gasped painfully, stopped in her tracks as Laurence Kingsley had his fangs buried deeply in the side of her neck, blood trickling down her pale flesh as he drank well over a quarter of the blood in her body. The demon pulled his fangs from her neck and smiled at Sebastian, licking away the remnants of her blood from his lips._

_“Ahhh… so delicious,” he murmured, and there was a glint of steel in the corner of Sebastian’s vision before Anna was stabbed through the heart, the one holding the blade being Ash._

_“ANNA!” Sebastian cried, but it was too late._

_Anna’s lifeless body slumped to the ground as Ash yanked his bloodied blade from her chest, crimson pooling around her. Immediately, Sebastian ran to attack Ash and Laurence, but both had disappeared, and the demon ran to his beloved angel, taking her into his arms. But she was already dead, her head tilting limply against his chest as blood trailed from her lips, her beautiful azure orbs forever closed._

_There was a dark, evil cackle, and Sebastian turned his head to see a dark shadow with the horns of a Greater Demon hold a ball of fluttering light in his hands, crimson slits of eyes glaring at him. Immediately Sebastian knew what the ball of light was; it was Anna’s soul._

_“You lose, Sebastian Michaelis,” the Greater Demon informed him, and he crushed the ball of light in his hand easily, bits of crystal dust fluttering to the ground before the demon vanished without a trace._

_“Anna…” Sebastian wept, burying his face against her silver hair._

_Sebastian had not only lost Anna’s life, but he had also lost her soul…_

 

Sebastian’s crimson eyes snapped open, staring up at the familiar white ceiling of his room. Glancing up above to the window, he saw that it was still dark out.

“What?” he mumbled, “How on earth did I get back here?”

Feeling a warm presence beside him, he looked down to see Anna sleeping soundly on his bedside, her injured arm neatly bandaged, and her cold hands were both cradling one of his. She was deathly pale, but Sebastian took no real notice of it.

“My, my,” he murmured affectionately, reaching over to gently stroke her hair, and she stirred, but did not wake. “Are you showing me your fragile yet compassionate side, Anna? Staying by my bedside even though you yourself are injured? I am honoured.”

Reaching to stroke her face, he noticed that she was stone cold.

“You are going to get sick if you keep this up, even _if_ you are an angel,” he scolded affectionately, fluently pulling her up into the bed under the covers next to him, her cheek pressing against his chest. He couldn’t help but wince at the pain in his lower torso, and knew that it would take a little longer for him to heal completely.

Wrapping an arm around her waist, Sebastian smiled at the angel he held, sighing heavily as he knew that there was a chance that she didn’t love him back.

_What a pity that would be,_ he thought. _And I truly believed she liked those kisses I gave her._

“Poor Young Master,” Sebastian suddenly said in realization. “If he needs assistance anytime tonight, neither Anna nor I can attend to him… at least… not in the state that we’re both in right now.”

Inhaling deeply, he breathed in Anna’s scent, imprinting the smell of her hair and skin clearly in his mind. He sighed, leaning forward to place a gentle kiss on her head.

“I love you, Anna,” he whispered in her ear. “As long as you are within my arms, I shall never allow you to be harmed. This I promise you. Sleep well, my beloved angel.”

 

Anna awoke to someone gently running their fingers through her hair, and her cheek was pressed up against warm, soft fabric. She glanced up and saw Sebastian smiling down at her, watching her.

“Good morning,” she greeted softly.

“Morning,” Sebastian replied gently. “How are you feeling?”

“Better,” the angel answered, wincing as she moved her left arm, “but it will still take a while longer for my wounds to heal. How about you? Are you alright now?”

He nodded confidently, smiling affectionately at her. “Anna… I love you,” he told her.

Anna smiled, pulling herself up to place a soft kiss on his lips, staring down into his crimson eyes. “I love you too, Sebastian,” she whispered, laying her head down on his shoulder.

The demon’s arms tightened around her petite body in deep relief, and he pressed his lips against her hair. “I thought that you believed I was lying,” he admitted.

She shook her head. “I used to,” she said, “but when you saved my life… when you risked your life to save mine, I saw it in your eyes that what you said was the truth. I was so scared… Sebastian. I really believed that you were just ordered by Ciel to make me fall in love with you.”

“He did,” Sebastian agreed. “The Young Master ordered me to make you fall in love with me. But what I never expected was that _I_ was the one falling in love with you. It’s an interesting experience, love. I’ve never been through it before. You are my first.”

Anna closed her eyes, snuggling against Sebastian’s chest. “I love you, Sebastian,” she sighed.

“And I love you, my beloved angel,” he whispered into her hair. “I don’t have much experience in the subject of love, so I’m afraid I don’t know too much about what I should do for you.”

She chuckled gently. “Just do what feels natural to you, Sebastian,” she told him softly. “I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable doing anything you don’t want to, so do everything at your own pace.”

“All that I can really think of to do at the moment is this,” Sebastian replied with a frustrated sigh, pulling her up so that her lips met his, and he rolled them over so that he lay on top of her, pressing his forehead against hers. “You alone can only do this to me. You are the only one that makes me feel so confused at times.”

Anna chuckled, “I feel the same way. Now let’s get up, I’m sure Ciel will be waking up soon.”

“Oh my, I hope he hasn’t had need of me last night,” he replied with a heavy sigh as he sat up. “I will never hear the end of it if he did.”

“Don’t worry about it,” she assured, sitting up next to him. “I tended to Ciel last night after I put you to bed and had help getting my arm bandaged. We had quite a conversation.”

The memory played through in Anna’s mind as if it was only a few minutes ago…

 

_“Sebastian!” Ciel shouted._

_The door opened, and someone walked into the room with a candleholder, but it wasn’t Sebastian. Ciel sat up, and he was surprised to see his angel maid._

_“Anna?” the earl said, incredulous. “What are you doing here? Where’s Sebastian?”_

_Anna bowed her head. “I apologize, but I’m afraid Sebastian is currently asleep,” she informed gravely._

_This only confused Ciel more. “But demon’s don’t need to sleep,” he retorted. “How could he sleep when his master’s calling for him?” Then he noticed the bandages wrapped around Anna’s left forearm, hidden slightly in her sleeve. “Anna… what happened to you?”_

_“I was lured to a burning tower not an hour ago,” she explained, setting the candleholder on the tableside. “There, I was attacked by Ash and nearly killed, but Sebastian saved my life, getting hurt in the process. The injury is deep, but he’ll recover completely by morning. I too was injured, my wings damaged and stabbed through the forearm, so I had no choice but to carry Sebastian back.”_

_The earl was furious. “Why was I not informed of this earlier?!” he demanded angrily. “What if the Phantomhive mansion was attacked while you both were gone?!”_

_“You have completely able servants, Ciel Phantomhive,” Anna warned, “you need not compete reliance on Sebastian and I all the time.”_

_He glared at her, and she smiled back, placing a hand on his head, calm rushing through him immediately. He sighed deeply, even though he knew that it was Anna’s power flowing into him, which also irritated him to some degree._

_“Now, what is it you want, Ciel? There’s a reason why you have called out for a servant’s aid,” Anna implored softly._

_“I wanted some warm milk,” Ciel responded. “It’s a little difficult getting to sleep tonight.”_

_Anna smiled. “I will return in a moment,” she assured, then left him alone in his room with only the light of the candles illuminating the area._

_Once she returned with a glass of milk balanced perfectly on a tray on her right hand, she offered it out to him, and he drank it down before putting it back on her tray._

_“You should know something, Ciel,” Anna began. “I’m in love with Sebastian.”_

_Ciel mentally smirked, knowing that his butler had succeeded in fulfilling his orders._

_“However,” she continued, “I have reason to believe that he loves me too.”_

_Ciel’s expression dropped slightly, and then he raised an eyebrow. “And how, pray tell, do you know that?” he challenged. “Sebastian is a demon. He cannot show compassion to anyone.”_

_“You may be surprised at what love can do to someone,” Anna sighed, “angels, demons, and humans alike. Now please, sleep. I will sing for you a simple tune that will calm even the dreams in which you dream.”_

_Ciel laid back down on his bed, closing his eyes. Anna sung for him a simple song of love, hope, and one’s wishes coming true. She sung for him a song of compassion, and not long afterwards Ciel was sound asleep, a hint of a smile touching his lips._

_“Good night, Ciel,” Anna wished quietly, brushing his hair gently. “You are still but a child, yet you face such difficult times.” She sighed, beginning to leave. “Sometimes Fate can seem so unreasonable, yet… I know it will all work out in the end…”_

 

A light pressure on her lips broke Anna out of her reverie, and she kissed Sebastian back softly as he rested a hand on her cheek.

“You were looking quite lost within your musings,” he told her gently. “I thought I should wake you.”

She smiled at him. “You go wake Ciel,” she told him. “I will go visit Fang and Adrian, then I will be in the kitchen preparing breakfast for the young earl.”

Sebastian shook his head. “We still have some time before I need to go wake the Young Master,” he assured, planting a gossamer’s kiss on her forehead. “I can still stay with you a while longer. Shall we proceed?”

“Of course,” she replied, and they both headed over to Anna’s room next door, Anna rapping lightly before peering in.

_“Anna!”_ Fangorn Angelista yowled, flying into her, and she hugged the cat.

“I’m sorry if I worried you, Fang,” she apologized. “I’ll be okay.”

Sebastian wrapped his arms around her neck, pressing his cheek against hers. “I’m sorry I allowed you to get hurt, Anna,” he whispered softly.

Immediately, Fang unsheathed his claws and hissed at Sebastian, white fur bristling.

“It’s alright, Fang!” Anna said quickly. “It’s already been resolved. Sebastian and I love each other.”

_“Anna! I’ve already had this discussion with you!”_ the cat resented. _“First a Blood Contract, now this?! The Council will be furious! Not to mention Michael and the others!”_

She bit her lip. “The Council of Angels should already know about the Blood Contract, and they’ve done nothing, not even told me that they do not approve,” she protested. “And Fang, even if you told me that I can’t fall in love with Sebastian, I already _have_ , and I can’t ignore my feelings.” She smiled at her cat. “Don’t worry, I know not to overstep my bounds.”

_“If you’re sure about this, Anna,”_ Fang replied grudgingly. _“How do you_ get _yourself into these kinds of situations?”_

“It _is_ me we’re talking about, Fang,” she pointed out, as if the fact was beyond obvious.

The cat shrugged. _“I’m afraid I have to agree with you,”_ he sighed. _“You have_ terrible _luck sometimes.”_

Sebastian shrugged. “Well… I think that one of those would be good luck, perhaps?” he noted, giving Anna a swift kiss. “Meeting me wasn’t _all_ too bad, was it?”

“Not at all,” she murmured back.

_“Ugh… you two are going to make me cough up a hairball,”_ Fang commented distastefully.

Without warning, Sebastian placed a hand on her forehead. “Are you feeling alright, Anna?” he implored suspiciously. “You seem a little warm.”

“Really?” she retorted, taken aback in surprise. “Apart from my sore arm, I feel perfectly fine. Aside from that now…” She turned to Fang. “Any new orders or investigations from above?”

The white feline shook his head. _“If there were, we’d be on them already,”_ he replied. _“I suppose they’re really letting you go with this mission of yours. Well… considering you_ did _make that promise to Vincent Phantomhive.”_

Anna shrugged. “Well… a promise is a promise,” she said simply. “Maybe I’ll head up and drop by to visit them sometimes. Been a while since we’ve had a chat.”

The cat sighed, _“If you do, just make sure you don’t forget_ which _level it is they’re on this time. Going through all seven levels of Heaven takes a little while, considering you always find someone to chat with on each before you actually find the Phantomhives.”_

“Ah ha, ha,” she chuckled merrily, “little details, Fang. I have friends on every level, you know that. Not to mention, I’m friends with all the angels in quite a few departments. I enjoy other peoples’ companies, and you find a lot to talk about sometimes.”

_I’m sure that_ this _experience with falling in love with a demon will stay a popular topic for you for a while, Anna,_ Sebastian thought. _Hmmm… I wonder what your angel friends would say then?_

“Well… now, Sebastian,” Anna began, “why don’t you head on to the kitchen to start preparing breakfast? I’ll take care of Adrian and get myself all cleaned up before joining you.”

He nodded. “Fair enough,” he replied easily, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek before walking off.

After he left, Anna went to wake Adrian, the baby stirring in her arms, blinking open large blue eyes as he reached to tug lightly on her silver hair. She chuckled, brushing her hair away from his grip and tickling the baby on the nose, causing him to giggle.

“Time to get you cleaned up,” Anna informed, beckoning Fang to follow her, “then we’ll both join Sebastian to make breakfast and I’ll give you both a little something to eat and drink.”

 

After Sebastian and Anna made breakfast and Sebastian had woken Ciel, they proceeded down the stairs towards the dining room, and they were greeted at the bottom of the stairs by the other servants.

“Good morning, Young Master!” they greeted cheerily.

“Good morning,” he responded casually.

As he passed, Sebastian, Anna, and Fang following behind, Finnian, Maylene and Bard stopped Anna in her tracks.

“Um… is there something you guys want?” she implored curiously, ignoring the dizziness she was beginning to feel.

They shook their heads, and Finny offered out the Phantomhive pin to her. “This is for you,” he told her. “We want _you_ to be the head maid of the Phantomhive household.”

Her eyes widened in shock, surprise written all over her face. “W-What?” she breathed. “Y-You want me to…”

They nodded.

“Be the head maid of the Phantomhive household,” Maylene finished. “You are the _perfect_ maid, like Sebastian’s the _perfect_ butler! It should only be fair that you should be the head maid!”

_“Congratulations on your promotion, Anna,”_ Fang told his partner. _“I guess it’s one of the benefits of being a maid and an angel.”_

She smiled. “Awww… that’s really sweet of you guys,” she responded, curtseying politely before accepting the pin. “I am honoured.” She pinned it to her uniform and smiled at them. “I will fulfill the duties of the head maid of the Phantomhive household to the best of my abilities.”

Suddenly, feeling strangely woozy as a weak pain and dizziness pulse in her head, she fell forward as she collapsed.

_“Anna!”_ they all exclaimed.

“Anna!” Sebastian exclaimed, rushing over to where the maid had fallen.

Fang immediately brushed the tip of his tail over her burning forehead before stepping back in shock. _“This is… it can’t be… but how…”_ he gasped, _“Sebastian!”_

“What is it?” he demanded to the cat quietly as he took Anna into his arms.

_“This is Ash’s doing!”_ Fang answered urgently, _“Anna’s contracted Angel Fever!”_

 


	10. Angel Fever Strikes

“Any word on Anna’s condition?” Ciel implored, flipping through his papers.

“I’m afraid we have no choice but to let it pass,” Sebastian replied. “There is no cure. All we must do is take care of her until it passes.”

The young earl sighed. “Then I suppose my dancing lessons will be delayed,” he replied. “Anyway… I will do a little more research anyway to try and figure out what’s going on behind the scenes of Lord Druton’s client services. For now, take care of Anna until she fully recovers.”

He bowed. “Yes, My Lord.”

“By the way, Sebastian,” Ciel began, “how _did_ you make Anna fall in love with you? Did you use your demonic charm on her or something? Or did you use _that_ approach?”

Sebastian chuckled. “I suppose I just had to be myself around her,” he responded. “But of course, I added a little more of my charm around her. Just for the record, Young Master, I’ve slept with a few women in my long life as a demon, all of it for information. As Anna has become the angel I seemed to have grown quite fond of, I would never take that approach with her because of my growing affections.”

“Whatever,” the earl scoffed, blushing slightly with embarrassment, as that was definitely more info than he needed. “Anyway, as I said, go take care of Anna. That’s my order.”

 

Knocking briefly on Anna’s door, Sebastian walked in, carrying in a bowl of cold water and a cloth.

“Fang, are there any improvements to her condition?” he implored.

“Sebby~♥!” Anna cheered, leaping from her bed to throw her arms around Sebastian’s neck, giggling profoundly.

 _“Obviously not,”_ Fang replied with a sigh. _“As you can tell… she’s only gotten worse. Ah… who knows what other troubles she could get herself into? I’ve alerted Michael, but he can’t do anything, considering that he’s going to catch it too if he comes to meet her and try to take care of her. Stupid Ash… it’s_ his _fault Anna caught Angel Fever.”_

“Sebby!” Anna cooed, rubbing her cheek against his chest. “Are you here to take care of little old me?”

He nodded. “But you must calm down, Anna,” he chided. “You could hurt yourself if you keep this up.”

Anna was burning up, and her cheeks were red as if she were drunk. “But Sebastian,” she whined, “I love you too much! Stay here with me!”

He nodded with a smile. “I’ll stay here as long as you need me,” he assured her. “Don’t worry. Now… get back into bed so I can take care of you. Fang… please take care of the Young Master in my temporary absence.”

 _“No way… I’m staying here to make sure that Anna’s not going to do anything stupid,”_ Fang retorted.

“Fang!” Anna squeaked as she wiggled into bed before poking her cat in the side. “Listen to Sebastian and go take care of Ciel! Obviously he can’t do a lot by himself! Go! Go! Shoo!”

Fang leaped away, hissing at Sebastian. _“You’d better not do anything to her, demon,”_ he warned. _“If even one hair on Anna’s head has been disturbed, your head will be between my jaws, and I will_ end _you.”_

Sebastian bowed, “Of course.”

 _“Take good care of her, Sebastian,”_ Fang told her. _“I know that if you truly love her, you wouldn’t harm her.”_

After Fang left, Anna had a huge grin on her face. “Sebby-chan!” she cooed happily. “I love you, Sebby!”

“Oh my,” he murmured, “this seems to be more serious than I thought. Calm down, Anna, please.” He began to dab at her forehead with the cloth after dipping it into the cold water and squeezing most of it out.

She began to pant feverishly. “S-Sebastian…” she panted, tugging at the collar of her uniform. “I-It’s so hot…” Only able to loosen her collar, she tried to unbutton the dress from behind, but Sebastian stopped her hands, and she resisted, pulling him up so that he was nearly resting on top of her.

“Anna, stop,” he told her. “What’s wrong?”

“I-It’s so hot, Sebby!” she whined between pants, “Y-You must be hot too!”

She tried to unbutton his waistcoat, but her hands fumbled with the buttons.

Again, Sebastian pulled her hands away. “Anna, what in the world are you doing?” he implored.

“Undressing you,” she replied simply, as if there was no real issue with it. “Sebby, it’s so warm though! And I love you! I’m only trying to help!”

The demon sighed, shaking his head as he stared into her feverish eyes. “Are you _trying_ to seduce me, Anna?”

The ill angel did not reply, and she forced herself up to kiss Sebastian passionately while trying to pull off his waistcoat, her hands wandering over his chest.

“Ahhh…” he murmured, easily restraining her hands once more. “You’re not thinking clearly, Anna. As much as I would relish the thought of sleeping with you, I won’t unless you actually _want_ me. And I know that you’re ill and obviously not thinking clearly, so you are not in your right state of mind, therefore you do not want me.”

She reached for him, but he held her down before placing a hand over her eyes, putting her to a light rest, and with a sigh, she collapsed onto the bed.

Sebastian sighed, straightening out his jacket before continuing to dab at her face with the cool cloth, wiping away the sweat from her brow and squeezing her hand reassuringly.

“You’ll be alright, Anna,” he assured her gently. “I will patiently wait for the day where you _do_ want to sleep with me, but out of your own volition, and not because of some illness.”

After he finished cooling her off a little, he placed a soft kiss on her forehead before planting one on her lips.

“I love you, Anna,” he whispered, pressing his forehead against hers. “I’ll be back in a moment, okay? I’ll try to prepare you something that may soothe your body.”

Obviously, she didn’t respond him, and he smiled, kissing her again briefly before leaving her in peace.

A dark, evil shadow loomed over Anna, and a sharp knife was drawn over her body. Moments later, precious blood was spilt, and Anna was gone.

 

Sebastian knocked lightly on her door as he returned with a platter of sliced fruits and a glass of water. “Well Anna… once you’re awake, I’m sure you’re definitely going to like-“

Immediately, he dropped the platter as the bed was empty, blood splattered across the white pillow.

“Anna!” Sebastian gasped, rushing to search for any hints of what could have happened. He closed his eyes, trying to sense whether the angel was still alive.

 _Anna! If you can hear me, answer my call!_ He called mentally. There was no reply, and Sebastian had no choice but to fear the worst. _Anna! You cannot be dead! Answer me!_

Again, there was no reply, and Sebastian’s hands tightened into fists. He closed his eyes and tried to focus on whose presence was there after he left.

 _“Sebastian!”_ Fang yowled, skidding into the room. _“Where’s Anna?!”_ He gasped at the blood on the bed. _“Sebastian! Where is she?! I_ told _you to take care of her!”_

“I don’t know,” the demon answered gravely. “I left for just a moment to get something for her to eat when she woke up, but when I returned, she was gone. I don’t know what could have happened… only that this isn’t a work of a human. If either a demon or an angel has hold of her, she may be in a little trouble.”

 _“Do you know who could have done this?”_ the feline implored.

“I can only think of three suspects; Ash, Laurence, or that Greater Demon that marked Anna,” he speculated. “What do you think, Fang?”

The cat dipped his head. _“I was thinking of the same,”_ he agreed. _“Assuming that Ash was the one who gave Anna Angel Fever, most likely it couldn’t have been him.”_

“And the Greater Demon hasn’t shown any signs of revealing himself yet, therefore,” Sebastian continued, “logically our primary suspect would be demon Laurence Kingsley. But where would he be hiding…? Fang, are you able to contact Anna through your bond with her? She’s not responding me through the Blood Contract, but I’m pretty sure that she’s alive, if only for now.”

 _“And why would that be?”_ Fang implored suspiciously.

“Laurence wants to devour her soul, so obviously he can’t just kill her,” the demon replied simply. “Anyway, are you able to contact her?”

 _“If I did, I would have done so already,”_ the cat hissed impatiently. _“She’s not answering me either. You don’t think that she could be…”_

Sebastian shook his head. “Absolutely not,” he cut off. “Even ill with Angel Fever, Anna’s strong enough to not allow herself to get killed that easily. She’ll put up a valiant fight until we can get to her. The only problem is… _where_ has she been taken?”

 _“Where indeed?”_ Fang sighed, _“Our only hope right now is to make sure that eventually when we’re able to make contact with her that she’s alright.”_

 _S-Sebastian…_ a weak voice whispered in the demon’s mind. _S-Sebby…_

 _Anna, is that you?_ He replied back instantaneously. _Anna, can you hear me?_

 _Sebastian…_ her voice rasped in his mind. _Please… help me… I don’t… I don’t have too… much time left…_

 _“Anna!”_ Fang exclaimed, also being able to hear her voice now. _“Are you okay?!”_

 _Please… Fang… Sebby…_ Anna whispered into their minds. _I’m dying… Laurence Kingsley… demon knife… planning on devouring… soul…_

 _Just hang on, Anna,_ Sebastian assured her, _We’ll get to you as quickly as we can. Hold on until we get there._

Anna sent them a weak mental image of the position she was in, and they saw Anna hanging by her wrists, bound by demon cuffs on her wrists and ankles as she was in a dark room, the only light in the windowless room a small light bulb and one door on the opposite side of where she was hanging. Bruises covered her body, leaving nasty marks on her formally flawless skin. A dagger’s hilt stuck out from her ribcage, and blood spilt from the wound. Her face was pale as her head hung, her eyes closed as blood trickled down the corner of her lips. Her silver hair was messy and draped over her face and shoulders. A jagged scar ran right under her throat, a wound sealed by searing hot metal on it. She seemed so close to death.

 _Anna! Hang on!_ Sebastian shouted into her mind, alarmed at her condition. _Don’t give up! Where are you?!_

 _You’ll find me… through the Blood Contract… Sebastian…_ she whispered weakly. _But Sebastian… if you can’t find me… in time…_

 _“Don’t think that, Anna! We’ll save you in time!”_ Fang protested. _“Just hang on!”_

 _Goodbye, Fang…_ she told them gently. _Goodbye Sebastian… I love you…_

 _Anna!_ Sebastian called, but it was too late, their connection had been severed.

 _“We’ve got to do something!”_ Fang shouted at Sebastian. _“We don’t have much time! Anna will die unless we hurry. Can you find her?”_

Sebastian closed his eyes and focused on Anna’s mind, on her heart and her soul. He focused on the contract that he had formed with her, and he focused on the love that he had for her. Within moments, he found her, and his eyes snapped open, indicating to Fang that he had located his dying angel.  

 _“Let’s go!”_ Fang said.

The butler nodded. “I’ll quickly inform the Young Master, then we shall leave immediately. It isn’t too far from here, but Anna’s weak,” he told her. “Let’s go!”


	11. The Secret of the Angels

“You’re so close,” Laurence Kingsley said with a smile, stroking Anna’s cold face. “Your soul is almost ready for harvesting.”

“Y-You’ll never win,” she rasped weakly. “You will never take my soul.”

“We’ll see about that,” he responded in amusement before slapping her harshly across the face. “Watching you suffer like this is quite amusing. Why don’t you cry out for your lover? Why don’t you cry out for your beloved angel? Michael, wasn’t it? Or why don’t you cry out for Sebastian? I’m sure he would _love_ to be in my position right now. Devouring an angel’s soul is very rare, as rarely do angels stay in one place so long that a demon can hunt them down.”

Anna coughed up more blood, and Laurence grabbed the hilt of the demon blade, twisting it further, and she cried out in agony. She was in so much pain, and her fever only made her condition worse.

“Please… please…” Anna pleaded brokenly, “just let me go…”

“Too bad, Anna,” he replied. “Your soul is far too valuable to fall from my grasp. A soul marked by a Greater Demon, a soul untainted with a dark past, and a burning desire to pursue a forbidden love. Your soul has surprising value, Anna. Your soul is far too precious for me to just allow it to slip from me when I’m so close. And to top your soul off, I’m adding the spices for my best dinner yet by torturing you and adding pain to that beautiful, remarkable soul of yours.”

“U-Ugh…” Anna groaned, her eyelids fluttering as she struggled to stay alive… but she was losing the fight.

The sadistic demon smiled. “I think it’s time for dinner,” he said with a smirked, tipping her head up him, his lips inches from hers as his eyes glowed demonically. “I will definitely enjoy this…”

As his mouth caught hers, the door broke open, and Sebastian and fully-transformed Fang burst in, only to see a sigh escape Anna’s lips as her head drooped lifelessly as Laurence pulled away from her, licking his lips.

“Mmm… most delicious soul I’ve ever had,” he said, smirking darkly at Sebastian. “You’ve just come too late, Sebastian. You lost your chance.”

An inferno of anger raged inside Sebastian as he saw Anna’s lifeless body, and instantly, he leaped at Laurence, his raged demon eyes blazing with fury as he and Laurence exchanged furious swipes, and Fang leaped to Anna’s side, brushing his muzzle against her cold cheek.

 _“Anna! Please! Wake up!”_ the panther hissed at her.

But she didn’t respond him, and the large cat nuzzled her cheek before tears strayed down his golden feline eyes as he laid his head on her shoulder for a moment before growling deeply, rushing to leap out at Laurence with a great fury, sharpened claws outstretched.

Laurence was fast… but Sebastian was faster, determined to kill him especially since the angel he fell in love with had fallen. Sebastian scratched Laurence with the sharp silver dinner knives hidden in his sleeves, and in Laurence’s recoil, Fang sank his teeth into the demon’s leg, digging his claws into the demon as Sebastian leaped back while the ferocious and furious angelic beast took out his fury on the demon.

“Anna…” Sebastian murmured, a faint guilt sewn into his voice as he snapped the demon cuffs on Anna’s wrists and ankles easily. As he pulled the limp angel into his arms, he pulled the demon blade from her torso, brushing her cheek very gently, cradling her as if she were just a child. “I’m so sorry, Anna… I wasn’t able to save you in time.”

The demon butler did not know how much the angel had truly meant to him until he finally lost her. Now… he felt pain and agony burn inside of him; inside the heart that he never knew he had. Pressing his forehead against her cold one, he kissed her softly, tasting her blood and what tasted like remnants of Anna’s soul.

“I love you…” he whispered softly, a silent prayer to the angel he had loved.

Laurence Kingsley was thrown viciously on the ground before Sebastian, covered in blood. Fang leapt in front of Sebastian and Anna, stalking around the demon angrily.

 _“…bast… ian…”_ a voice weakly whispered, “S-Se…bastian…”

To Sebastian’s surprise and relief, Anna’s eyes weakly fluttered open to meet his.

“Anna!” he breathed in surprise. “Y-You’re alive!”

“I-Impossible!” Laurence hissed angrily. “I was _sure_ I killed you! I devoured your soul already!”

A faint smile touched her lips, and she nodded at Sebastian, closing her eyes before her entire form glowed, her damaged wings appearing as she floated from his arms. Her wings folded around her form, and a warm pulse echoed from her body as she was set upright.

“ _Aargh!_ ” Laurence screeched, lunging at the hovering angelic form, but both Sebastian and Fang knocked the demon away.

Anna’s wings spread, and the angel’s eyes opened, the demons and cat seeing the angel in her full glory, dressed in a simplistic spaghetti-strap dress that reached her ankles, silver bangles dangling on both her wrists and crystal earrings jingling on her ears. Her silver hair was neat and seemed to flow in waves, a halo of golden light hovering over her head. All of her wounds and bruises were gone, and golden light seemed to be faintly radiating from her flawless skin.

“But _h-how_?” Laurence demanded, “I was sure I _killed_ you! I took your soul!”

 _“Us angels hold a deep secret that protects our souls from being taken by demons,”_ Anna chimed, her voice sounding like bells. _“And_ this _is why it is so rare for a demon to devour an angel’s soul; an angel’s soul cannot be taken, but only freely given._ That _is our secret.”_

Sebastian smiled at the angel, relieved that the angel was safe and alive. He realized how much he was in love with Anna, and how close he had been to losing her.

 _“For you,”_ Anna announced, her form radiating with power, _“this game is over.”_

 _“Anna!”_ Fang exclaimed. _“You’re still ill, you shouldn’t be using your powers! Though you may seem fine, you’re still sick with Angel Fever!”_

“Anna,” Sebastian advised her, knowing very well not to touch her, “let Fang and I take care of him. Don’t waste your energy on him. You need to save your strength to recover from Angel Fever.”

The light around Anna faded with her wings as her clothes transformed back into her simple cleaned maid outfit, the Phantomhive emblem pinned on her chest. She sighed, collapsing into Sebastian’s arms, and her demon held her tight, her head resting against his shoulder. A darkness radiated from Sebastian as his eyes glowed demonically. Darkness began to envelop the room, and for the first time, Laurence felt fear as Sebastian began his transformation…

 

“Mmm…” Anna murmured, slowly opening her eyes. She found herself in her bed, her hands folded over her chest, and the world seemed a little fuzzy to her at first, but eventually she refocused, resting a hand over her forehead. “W-What happened?”

“Anna, you’re awake,” a warm voice said, and Sebastian’s gloved hand brushed over her cheek. “How are you feeling?”

“Not… too bad,” she replied, glancing over to see the demon sitting on her bedside. “I feel so sore and tired though. How long have I been asleep?”

“About a full day since you were last conscious,” he answered simply.

“What happened to me?” she implored.

 _“You were sick,”_ Fang said, hopping onto her bedside, _“you caught Angel Fever from Ash. You’re alright_ now _though.”_

“Ugh…” she moaned, her hand resting over her eyes. “Did I do anything stupid that I should know about? Anything happen?”

“Nothing too severe,” Sebastian assured. “Laurence Kingsley is dead, and you were nearly killed. You nearly lost your soul, you transformed into your true form, and above all else, you tried to seduce me.”

A blush covered Anna’s cheeks as she twisted her head away in embarrassment, and Fang’s fur bristled in anger. Sebastian had told him already about it before, but still… it bothered him.

“Awww… don’t worry about it,” the demon teased, stroking her cheek. “You were very cute and sweet. Don’t worry, I didn’t give in. I knew you were ill, and it’s not like me to take advantage of the woman I love.”

Fang sighed, looking at Anna in concern, _“One more thing, Anna, you revealed the secret of the angels, to both Sebastian_ and _Laurence. Thankfully, Laurence is dead, however, as for the matter of Sebastian…”_

“I did _what?!_ ” Anna demanded, sitting up abruptly and instantly regretting it. She flopped back down on the bed, groaning at the dizziness she felt pulsing in her head.

 _“Well…”_ the feline continued calmly, _“I’ve spoken with the Council, and they sent Michael to relay a message and a deal with the demon; Sebastian will keep quiet about the angels’ secrets, and in return, the Council will approve of his relationship with you… for now, anyway.”_

Very softly, Sebastian gave Anna a kiss, unhurried and undemanding. His hands snaked around her waist and around her back, sitting her up against him as he held her. Pulling away, their foreheads touched, their eyes closed.

“After nearly losing you, Anna,” he said, running his fingers through her hair, “I’ve realized just _how_ much you mean to me. In all honesty, I am appalled at how much I seem to love you. I didn’t think such a feat for a demon would be possible. You truly must be a maid sent from heaven.”

She chuckled at the irony of the joke before pulling away. “We should probably tend to Ciel,” she said, “I’m sure the other servants are busy too.”

 _“They’ve been worried about you,”_ Fang told her. _“They’ve all been quite distracted, Finny_ especially _. He ran the pool table through the wall.”_

“O-Oh my…” she stammered in shock. “Well… then I suppose we should definitely go tend to the Phantomhive Manor’s affairs before we continue on with the day. Speaking of, I still have to continue teaching Ciel how to dance, otherwise he’ll _never_ be ready for the dance coming up in a few days.”

Sebastian sighed, “Unfortunately, I believe that _no_ amount of teaching will help the Young Master improve.”

Anna shrugged. “You never know, Sebastian,” she replied optimistically. “A lot can happen in several days. The relationship between you and I is one of the best proofs of that.”

He chuckled, giving her a soft kiss. “I’m afraid I agree with you,” he told her gently. “You truly are remarkable, Anna. You’ve melted the non-existent heart of a demon with a just a smile.”

She smiled. “Well now, Sebastian,” she told him gently. “You’re not that bad yourself. You’ve made an angel fall for a demon. That is definitely something that no one on earth could have ever predicted.”


	12. Unexpected Guests

“Well… things surely gotten interesting, haven’t they?” Sebastian pointed out.

Anna had a hand on her forehead, her gaze lowered. “When Fang said ‘distracted’ , I honestly didn’t believe he meant something like _this_.”

They had entered the study to clean up, but they didn’t expect that it was a huge mess, with books and papers scattered all over the place. It looked as if a tornado had swept through the room.

“Oh my…” she breathed. “This will take a little time to clean up… even for us, at least… a little longer than normal.”

“But we’ll have it done,” Sebastian assured. “Don’t worry. This shouldn’t take us too long, either way.”

She shrugged. “True, true,” she agreed. “Let’s get started then.”

Easily, they began to clean up the mess caused by the other servants, and after they finished, Anna looked at Sebastian. Her hand reached to cautiously touch his shoulder, but her hand nervously shrank back before she did. He looked at her with a smile.

“Is something wrong, Anna?” he implored.

She stopped, shaking her head. “N-No… it’s alright,” she replied.

He walked over to her and gave her a gentle kiss, entwining his fingers with hers as he planted soft kisses down her neck. “What’s wrong, Anna?” he asked her, knowing that something was bothering her. “Are you worried about Ash trying to kill you? Or is it about the Greater Demon hunting you? Does the mark hurt?”

She shook her head. “I’m just a little worried,” she admitted. “I’ve never really _been_ in a relationship before… _definitely_ not expecting one with a demon. I’ll admit that I had a fiancé once when I was still human, but unfortunately I was too busy to spend any decent time with him. I just… I don’t really know what to do.”

Sebastian chuckled, “ _That’s_ what you’re worried about? Don’t worry, Anna, as long as you’re with me, you don’t have to worry about anything.” He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her, and she smiled, instantly feeling her worry drift away.

“ANNA!” three voices cried out, and Anna and Sebastian pulled away in time to see Bard, Finny and Maylene burst through the doors and tackled Anna into a huge group hug.

“Whoa!” she exclaimed in surprise as they clung onto her. “W-What’s up with you three this morning?”

“We were so worried when you just collapsed like that!” Finny bawled.

Maylene and Bard nodded furiously in agreement.

“The Young Master told us not to worry and that Sebastian would take care of you until you recovered,” Maylene added.

“We’re so glad you’re okay,” Bard concluded. “Otherwise we thought that you and Seb-“

Immediately, Finny and Maylene covered his mouth before he finished, smiling innocently at Anna, and the angel blinked.

“Umm… well… I appreciate your concern,” Anna said, “and I think it’s very sweet of you guys to worry about me like that. I’m alright now.”

Sebastian clapped his hands, and immediately the servants straightened up in a line. “Well, now that that’s over and done with, please get back to your respective duties,” he instructed. “Anna and I will go and prepare the Young Master for breakfast.”

“Yes sir!” the three exclaimed determinedly before running off.

“Sebastian,” Anna addressed. “I almost forgot. I have a gift for you.”

He looked at her curiously. “A gift? I am honoured,” he responded with a bow.

“Fang!” Anna called, and the white cat padded into the room, looking up at her.

 _“Yes, Anna?”_ he answered.

“Have you brought her along for Sebastian?” she queried.

The cat turned his head back towards the door, waving his tail as if beckoning whoever this ‘her’ was over. _“It’s alright,”_ he assured smoothly, _“you can come in.”_

There was a soft meow, and Sebastian was flustered as a sleek black cat padded shyly into the study, standing next to Fang as she stared up at Sebastian and Anna. A cute pink bow was tied loosely around her neck, and she looked absolutely adorable.

Kneeling down, Sebastian picked the black cat up and smiled at it. “Such soft fur,” he commented, holding her against him as he stroked her fur and ears. “She’s gorgeous.”

 _“Her name is Kylee,”_ Fang informed, hints of protectiveness in his voice, _“I have been taking care of her for the past few days that we’ve been here. I trust you won’t mistreat her, Sebastian?”_

The demon rubbed his cheek against Kylee’s. “Of course not,” he responded. “Ahhh… luxuriously soft. Ahhh… I love cats.”

Anna pretended to pout. “What about me?” she pouted teasingly.

Sebastian smiled, holding the cat against his chest as he leaned over to steal a kiss from her. “I love you too,” he whispered, and earned him a smile. “And thank you. I promise I’ll take good care of Kylee… provided that the Young Master’s allergies don’t work up because of her presence.”

“Don’t worry about that,” the angel assured. “I’ve taken care of that. Ciel’s allergies won’t respond to Kylee. Now… Fang, I trust you to take care of Kylee and Adrian while Sebastian and I will go prepare Ciel for breakfast. After that, I’ll bring something over to you three while Sebastian checks what is on Ciel’s schedule for today.”

 

“Sebastian,” Ciel addressed sternly.

“Today, Young Master,” the butler began, “you have no major scheduled appointments, however, it is advised that we’ll continue your dance supervision today, as we’re already behind schedule on that.”

The 13-year-old glared at the demon. “You’re really enjoying this, aren’t you…” he accused.

Sebastian smiled innocently. “Not at all,” he responded. “Also, Anna thought it’d be best for you to get more practice anyway.  Otherwise you won’t be ready for the dance coming up in a few days… not that I think practice would help you much anyway.”

Ciel glared at him even more, scoffing. “Anything _else_ , Sebastian?”

He nodded. “Today, Anna and I will be supervising your overall studies, as we received a letter yesterday that states that Professor Maxmillion is sick, therefore he cannot come and tutor you for the next little bit,” he informed. “So we shall supervise your studies, violin lessons, _and_ dancing lessons.”

There was a sudden knock on the door, and a young curly-haired blonde burst in, arms outstretched.

“Ciel~!” Elizabeth Midford exclaimed, running cheerfully to her fiancé.

“Lizzy!” Ciel gasped, startled. “What are you doing here?”

She giggled, “I snuck out here to spend the day with you! Aren’t you happy to see me?”

“Good morning, Lady Elizabeth,” Sebastian greeted with a bow.

“Sebastian,” she acknowledged with a polite curtsey, “good morning.” Then she went over and tackle-hugged Ciel. “Awww… you’re so cute!”

There was a brief knock on the door. “Come in,” Ciel called automatically, and Anna stepped into the room, pushing the cradle carrying Adrian in as well.

“Ah, I wasn’t aware that we were having guests,” she commented, bowing to Elizabeth. “Good morning.”

Ciel cleared his throat. “Lizzy, this is our newest maid, Anna. Anna, this is my fiancée, Elizabeth Midford.”

“A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lady Elizabeth,” Anna said politely.

But Lizzy seemed to be too busy staring at Anna, as if mentally analyzing her. “Ahhh! You’re the perfect model to try on some adorable clothes!” she said, a little bit loudly.

Inside his cradle, Adrian began to cry, and immediately both Anna and Sebastian went to hush the child, Sebastian lifting the baby into his arms and swinging him around gently. As he quieted down, the butler smoothly handed him over to Anna, and she was able to silence the child completely.

“Sebastian,” Lizzy began excitedly, “I never knew you were a father! You never mentioned that you had a wife either!”

Both demon and angel blushed, and Ciel’s face slightly reddened as well.

“Elizabeth,” he began, “Sebastian’s not the father of that child, and Anna is not the mother. Another thing is that they are not married. We found that child a few days ago. We’re taking care of Adrian until his real parents come to collect him.”

“Oh…” she responded, sounding a little bit disappointed. “That’s really sweet of you, Ciel.”

Immediately he twisted away, flushing slightly with embarrassment.

“Ciel,” Anna addressed gently as she placed Adrian back into his cradle, “I hope you do not mind that I have Adrian sit in to our lessons. This way I can tend to him if need be, and Sebastian can continue your lesson.”

Sebastian smiled. “Well… Lady Elizabeth, would you like to join the Young Master’s lessons? An elegant dancer like yourself should be able to help the Young Master improve when we move on into dancing lessons.”

“I would love to!” she cheered happily.

“First off,” Anna said, looking at the list, “are your history lessons, Ciel. Then you have violin lessons and dancing.”

“Awww… history’s so boring,” Elizabeth whined. “How about I make Anna cute while Sebastian teaches you your history lesson? Okay! Let’s go!”

Ciel shook his head. “But Anna is also teaching me a portion of-“

“Come on, Anna, let’s go!” the girl said happily, ignoring her fiancé’s reasoning. Without waiting for a reply, she pulled on Anna’s arm and began to pull her out of the room.

“O-Okay!” Anna said quickly, looking at Sebastian, “Take care of Adrian for me! And take over teaching my part to Ciel!”

Sebastian bowed his head to her.

“Listen to what other people are telling you!” Ciel shouted, but the door slammed shut before she heard. He groaned heavily in annoyance. “Never mind about that… for now let’s begin with the lesson, Sebastian. They’ll come back… eventually.”

 

As Sebastian was teaching near the end of his lesson, the doors suddenly burst open, and two guys walked into the room proudly.

“Little Ciel!” Prince Soma Asman Kadar entered the room with his loyal servant, Agni. “How are you?”

Agni bowed. “It is a pleasure to meet you both again, Master Ciel, Mr. Sebastian,” he greeted.

“Soma, Agni,” Ciel gasped in surprise, standing up, “what are _you_ both doing here?”

“Visiting, of course,” the 17-year-old Indian prince replied automatically. “How have you been? Everything going well, I hope.”

Ciel nodded. “Next time would you mind sending a notice that you were coming?” he advised irritably.

“I hope you’re not busy right now, Ciel,” Soma said. “Let’s have some fun today!”

The young earl shook his head. “I’m near the end of my history lesson,” he replied coldly. “Then I have other lessons I must attend.”

“Come on, Ciel,” the prince insisted, “have some fun for a change!” He wrapped an arm around Ciel’s neck into a half-tease, half-hug.

A quiet whine came from the baby basket, and Sebastian immediately went over to tickle Adrian’s tummy, causing the baby to giggle in amusement. Immediately Soma and Agni went over to look at the child.

“You never mentioned having a brother, Ciel!” Soma exclaimed happily. “Congratulations!”

A vein on Ciel’s forehead throbbed. “He’s not my brother,” he shouted impatiently, “I’m an only child!”

Agni looked at Sebastian. “Is he your son, Mr. Sebastian?” he implored, bowing with his palms touching. “Congratulations.”

Sebastian shook his head with a short chuckle. “He is neither the Young Master’s brother, nor is he my son,” he answered calmly. “This child was discovered about a day ago, and the Young Master has taken him under his care until the child’s parents can be found.”

“That’s kind of you, Ciel,” Soma commented.

Without warning, two pairs of light footsteps entered the room, and all four men turned to see Elizabeth and Anna standing at the door.

“Is everything alright?” Anna demanded worriedly, “It sounded a little loud in here.”

Ciel and Sebastian’s eyes widened at her appearance. Anna was no longer dressed in her maid uniform, but an elegant sleeveless sky blue dress that reached the floor, a long slit in the side starting mid-thigh. White gloves had been slipped over her hands, stopping just above her wrist, and she appeared to be wearing silvery white heels. Her hair was ironed in waves, curling lightly at the bottom, and she wore a clear crystal pendant on a silver chain around her neck, hanging against her breastbone. A single white rose was tucked into her hair. The only unfortunate blemish was the Greater Demon’s star pentagram mark on her left collarbone.

“And who are _these_ elegant ladies, Ciel?” Soma implored, walking over to bow to them both. “Greetings, I am Prince Soma Asman Kadar, a prince of India, and this is my servant, Agni.”

Both Elizabeth and Anna curtsied.

“I am Lady Elizabeth Midford,” Lizzy greeted, “Ciel is my fiancé.”

Soma raised an eyebrow as he turned to Ciel as Anna walked over to stand beside Sebastian, her hands clasped together in front of her. “You never mentioned having a fiancée, Little Ciel,” he teased. “Well… I suppose you _aren’t_ that little anymore, having a fiancée and all.”

“Soma,” Ciel scowled.

 _You look beautiful, Anna,_ Sebastian told her mentally.

 _Thank you,_ she replied, tilting her head slightly to give him a smile. _It took Elizabeth a little while to finally decide with one. It was an… interesting experience. It_ was _kinda fun… I’ll admit._

He gave her a light shrug. _Well… it most definitely seemed worth the time away from you to see you like this,_ he said. _It’s too bad that the only imperfection is the Greater Demon’s mark._

“And who are you?” Soma implored, smiling at Anna. “You are a very beautiful woman.”

She curtseyed. “Thank you. I am the head maid of the Phantomhive manor,” she greeted, “my name is Anna, and I was just hired about two days ago. It is a pleasure to meet you, Prince Soma. Please pardon my appearance as I don’t normally dress like this for work.”  

“You have very interesting servants, Ciel,” the prince commented. “How did you hire such an elegant maid?”

Ciel scowled, “Why should it matter to you? Anyway, you’re interrupting my lesson. Sebastian, what’s next?”

“Violin lessons, Young Master,” he answered.

Anna smiled. ”Shall we proceed to the other room with the piano and violins?”

He nodded. “Let’s go.”

“Anna…” Sebastian said, “I trust you’re good with the violin?”

She smiled. “I am,” she replied, “but my forte is the piano.” She bowed respectfully to the young earl. “Ciel Phantomhive,” she began lightly, “please allow me to be your accompanist today.”


	13. Humorous Situation

As they all went to the next room, Sebastian pulled out the music sheets after handing Ciel his violin and taking his own. He smiled at Anna before turning to Ciel. “What do you feel like playing today, Young Master? Are you feeling like Bach’s Chaconne? Or would you like to try a cheerier one? For example, how about Elgar’s Opt. 12, Salut d’Amour?”

“Whatever,” Ciel sighed tiresomely.                                              

“Very well,” he responded, taking the respective sheet and handing a copy to Anna as she opened up the piano.

“Hmmm… Salut d’Amour,” she murmured, “A very good choice.” She sat down at the piano, setting the sheets up on the stands.

“Well, Young Master,” Sebastian began, “Anna and I shall give you a demo of what this song should sound like when performed perfectly.” Setting the violin against his neck, he looked at Anna, and she nodded.

Her hands flowed along the keys, the beautiful melody ringing out in the air, and after the first few lines, Sebastian began to flawlessly play the violin in tune to the music. Together, they wove a beautiful sound that echoed throughout the mansion, stopping the other servants in their work as they paused to listen. Ciel and Elizabeth closed their eyes as they listened, feeling the song carry a light emotion within in. It was the feeling of triumph, and a pure happiness that Ciel knew he hadn’t felt in years… ever since that fateful day. He felt… lighter, somehow, and as demon and angel played in perfect harmony, Ciel couldn’t help but feel even the faintest hint of a smile tug on his lips.

“Ah, how beautiful,” Lizzy cheered happily.

“They sound remarkable together,” Agni added.

Soma nodded.

 _Very nice,_ Sebastian thought to Anna. _I see even the Young Master is pleased with our performance, very amusing._

 _Oh you,_ she sighed mentally, flawlessly continuing her part of the song. _You shouldn’t tease your master like that. Demon or not, you never know what that boy could order you to do._ _And because you’re bound under the Contract, you must obey his orders._

As their song came to a humbling close, clapping filled the room.

“That was wonderful!” Elizabeth exclaimed.

Sebastian and Anna bowed in union.

“Well… Ciel, shall we begin?” Anna asked, and Sebastian moved aside for Ciel to look at the pages on the stand. “How does it look?”

“Hmmm…” he muttered incomprehensibly, placing the violin against his neck as he began to sight-read the notes, still playing decently well. Very easily, Anna caught where he was and played along perfectly on the piano. The pace was slower, and the sound emitted from Ciel’s violin was more amateurish compared to Sebastian’s previous playing.

“Not bad, Little Ciel,” Soma commented. “Quite interesting…”

“Ciel…” Anna sighed, not missing a note as she continued playing, “you need to put more emotion into it, even if you _are_ sight-reading it. Emotion is the key to moving others to believe what you are playing.”

Ciel’s brow furrowed as he tried to do as she advised, finding it a little tricky to actually understand what she had meant by putting more ‘emotion’ into his playing.

“Not bad, Young Master,” Sebastian commented afterwards.

Anna looked at Ciel. “You still have to put more emotion into it, Ciel,” she told him. “Though I do compliment the fact that you at least managed to play the song decently well, you still have some work to do.”

The young earl scoffed.

“Nice job, Little Ciel,” Soma commented.

“Ciel!” Lizzy exclaimed, leaping to give him a huge hug. “That was absolutely adorable! You look so adorable when you’re playing the violin! Now you just need the perfect outfit to go with it too! Then you’d look perfect!”

Agni looked at Anna. “You are quite a skilled maid as well, Miss Anna,” he complimented, and she smiled.

“Thank you,” she responded. “I’m sure that you are just as skilled in your own unique areas as well, Mr. Agni.”

The door burst open as Fang and Kylee dashed in, a certain red-cloaked Shinigami chasing after them. For some strange reason he was holding two double-layered cakes in his hands.

“Come back here you two!” Grell Sutcliff exclaimed.

Immediately, Fang ran to Anna as Kylee ran to Sebastian, both cats leaping up to their owners’ arms.

“Fang!” Anna gasped, “what in the world is going on?! Grell, what are you doing here?!”

 _Sorry to interrupt you, Anna,_ Fang told her, looking up at her, _I needed to warn you about this Shinigami, but he was insistent on seeing you. I’m unsure about what those cakes are though._

 _Go on, take Kylee and get out of here,_ she replied him, _Sebastian and I will take care of this. Please take Adrian to the other servants to have them take care of him._

The Shinigami stopped, looking at the angel maid. “Uh… Will sent me here to deliver these to you,” he announced, walking over with the cakes.

Anna’s eyes widened, clearly taken aback. “Well… thank you very much,” she replied as Fang and Kylee nudged Adrian’s cradle out of the room.

“Those are some amazing cats you have there,” Soma commented.

Anna and Sebastian smiled. “Thank you,” they replied in union.

Without warning, Grell tripped, and he dropped the cakes. As he tried to recover from his trip, he stumbled, both feet stepping into the cakes as suddenly he was sliding around the room on the cakes like they were skates.

 _Oh no…_ both Anna and Sebastian thought as the Shinigami sped towards them all.

“Prince Soma!” Agni exclaimed, grabbing his prince protectively and leaping away.

“Sebastian!” Anna called immediately, “Grab Lady Elizabeth!”

As the demon grabbed the young lady to safety, Anna grabbed Ciel and pulled him away to the side as Grell crashed into the piano, broken and jagged notes sent in all directions, Grell falling onto his face in the pile of broken wood.

 _“Is everyone okay?”_ Fang implored Anna.

“I think everyone’s accounted for,” she answered.

Ciel scoffed, “The idiot.”

Sebastian nodded. “But I think the only thing I’m really worried about is the piano,” he said grumpily. _I’ll have to get that fixed as soon as possible,_ he added mentally.

“That has _got_ to hurt,” Anna added. “Are you alright, Grell?”

The Shinigami looked up at them, covered in cake and broken pieces of wood. “Aw man… Will’s gonna kill me,” he groaned.

 _He won’t be the only one,_ Sebastian thought.

“Here, let me help you up,” Anna offered, extending her hand to him, and Grell couldn’t help but flush at her kindness, taking her hand as he tried to stand… _tried_ to stand.

“GAH!” Grell exclaimed as he slipped on some icing on the bottom of his shoe and was falling back, Anna’s hand still gripped in his as he caught the angel off guard, pulling her down with him.

Sebastian’s arm instantly darted out to grab Anna’s other hand, pulling her back, and with a blundering thump, Grell was back on the ground, covered in Will’s hard work and pieces of a broken piano.

“Oww…” Anna grumbled, but she had landed on something soft, opening her eyes to find herself lying on top of Sebastian, their faces inches apart as his hand was still holding hers. A blush charmed her face as she hurriedly got off him. “S-Sorry Sebastian.”

He chuckled as she helped him up. “No harm done, Anna,” he assured her, turning back to Grell. “Now Grell, may you please clarify as to _why_ you are here?” _Not to mention destroy the piano,_ he added mentally, and Anna shot him a quick look, knowing that even in the demon’s irritation, he shouldn’t act rashly against the Shinigami.

“Will wanted me to deliver these cakes to Anna as a gift for her services,” Grell responded.

All eyes turned to Anna, and she held up her hands in front of her defensively. “Don’t look at me, I have no idea what he’s talking about,” she defended honestly.

“Undertaker wasn’t willing to give us information before you made him laugh,” the Shinigami explained. “But after you all left, he told us everything we needed to know. That’s why Will wanted to thank you by sending you the cakes…”

The angel chuckled in amusement. “That was sweet of him,” she replied, “but he didn’t have to do that for me. But I don’t think it matters too much anymore at the moment.” She chuckled as Grell flushed in embarrassment, knowing that he ruined the cakes.

“So… who _is_ this guy?” Soma implored.

“An acquaintance of mine,” Ciel replied simply. “This blundering idiot is always causing trouble.” _Whether it is trying to go after Sebastian or causing trouble for me,_ he added silently. _There shouldn’t be too many problems with him chasing after Sebastian now that he and Anna are together._

Sebastian sighed, “I suppose there goes our violin lessons with accompaniment. You’re going to have to do it solo, Young Master.”

“Rather that,” Anna interrupted, “why don’t we just move along on our schedule? We may as well, correct?”

The demon nodded his head. “Grell, if you please wouldn’t mind _leaving_ ,” he hinted, “then we can proceed on our schedule without any delays.”

“I have to agree,” Anna agreed gently, “you’ve caused a little too much trouble here, Grell. Please thank Will for the cakes, even though I won’t be able to enjoy them anymore. It’s the thought that counts.”

Grell looked depressed. _Will’s going to kill me,_ he thought grimly, standing up and brushing off some cake. “Oh yeah,” he said, taking a card out of his pocket and offering it out to Anna, “Will also wanted me to give this to you. It’s his card. He says to give him a call if you ever need help.”

 _As if that will happen,_ Sebastian thought, _I will be the one to protect you if you need any help._

The angel smirked, shooting a quick amused glance at the demon. “Thanks,” Anna said, taking the card from Grell and slipping it into her glove, “I’ll keep that in mind.”

Sebastian smiled at Anna before turning back to Grell. “Please see yourself out, Grell,” he said, turning to Ciel, Lizzy, Soma and Agni, “Young Master, please wait in the dance room while Anna and I will try to clean up a little. We will be there as soon as we can.”

Ciel nodded. “Take care of this, Sebastian, Anna,” he said softly before they left.

Once only Anna and Sebastian remained, Sebastian went behind Anna, resting his hands on her bare shoulders as he pressed up against her back. His hands slid down her arms to wrap around her stomach as she leaned back against him, resting her hands on his as she sighed heavily.

“You seem tired, Anna,” he breathed into her ear. “Are you alright?”

“I love you, Sebastian,” she whispered, reaching back to turn his face towards her to capture him in a kiss, “but yes, I think I’m fine. Just a bad feeling, I suppose…”

The demon didn’t seem too convinced, and kissed her again, his arms wrapping around her tighter. “I love you too, Anna,” he said softly, “and have I mentioned yet that you look absolutely ravishing?”

She nodded with a smile. “You _might_ have mentioned it,” she teased. “But that’s not important for the moment. We _should_ get cleaning up as soon as we can before Ciel comes to scold us.”

Sebastian kissed her on the forehead, reaching to brush his gloved fingers over the Greater Demon seal on her collarbone. “It’s a pity that this imperfection is marking you,” he sighed, “otherwise you’d be perfect.”

“That’s sweet of you to say that,” she commented, and he kissed her again lightly before running his lips down the side of her neck, causing her to moan and shiver with pleasure.

He buried his face into her silver hair, hugging her tighter. “Ah…” he sighed, breathing in her sweet scent deeply, “I suppose we _should_ clean up now, shouldn’t we.”

“Yes,” she replied, pulling away, “Ciel and the others are expecting us. Next we have his dancing lessons.”

Sebastian sighed, shaking his head. “This will be tragic indeed…”


	14. Angel vs Angel

“Okay, so, Ciel, what do you remember from last time?” Anna asked, and was met with silence. “Oh dear… you don’t remember _anything_ from our last lesson?”

“Come on, Ciel!” Elizabeth cheered, “You can do it!”

“Yeah, Little Ciel,” Soma added, “you opened up my eyes to the world, and yet you can’t even dance the waltz.”

Sebastian chuckled as a vein pulsed on the earl’s forehead. “He’s right, I’ll admit,” he said. “Here, allow Anna and I to demonstrate it to you again.”

Eagerly, Sebastian pulled Anna into his arms and looked at Ciel as he slipped a hand around her back as she settled hers on his shoulder. “Remember Young Master, lead from the heel,” he addressed.

The demon-angel pair began to waltz, and Ciel tried to pay attention to their perfect steps, but just didn’t seem to get it. Anna noticed his frustration and looked at Sebastian.

 _Perhaps we should have Lady Elizabeth assist him so he isn’t only just watching,_ Anna told him mentally.

He dipped his head, and both of them stopped, looking at Ciel and Elizabeth.

“Ciel,” Anna said softly, “I was thinking that it would be easier for you to learn if you’re doing it with us at the same time.”

“Lady Elizabeth,” Sebastian addressed gently, “would you please be the Young Master’s dance partner for his lesson?”

“Of course!” she squealed happily, turning to Ciel, who flushed slightly.

Inhaling deeply as Anna and Sebastian’s previous lesson of ‘being a gentleman’ flooded his mind, he forced a smile, offering his hand out to her. “May I have this dance, Lady?” he implored respectfully.

“Yes!” Lizzy replied happily, taking his outstretched hand and moving into formal dance position.

Soma and Agni exchanged glances.

“We’ll be going now,” Soma announced. “It was good to see you again, Little Ciel, Sebastian. And it was nice to meet you both too, Lady Elizabeth, Anna.”

Anna dipped her head with a kind smile. “It was nice to meet you too, Prince Soma, Agni,” she replied. “Please come by anytime.”

 

After Ciel was put to bed later that evening, Anna turned to Sebastian, giving him a soft peck on the lips, burying her face in his chest for a moment before pulling back.

“Anna, is something wrong?” he implored worriedly, his deep red eyes shining at her.

She shook her head. “Sebastian,” she said softly, “come with me to my room. There is something I need to talk to you about. It’s important. I’m going to prove to you how far I’m willing to go with you.”

The demon raised an eyebrow. “Are you planning on seducing me, Anna?” he implored.

“Come with me, please?” she replied while blushing, avoiding his question. She batted her eyelashes flirtatiously at him and he sighed.

“Fine, fine,” he agreed, giving her a kiss before brushing her lips with a thumb. “You’re going to have to do a better job of seducing me than just _that_ , if that’s what you’re after.”

 

Late that night, Ciel was disturbed by a loud shouting.

“CIEL! CIEL! WAKE UP!” Anna’s voice shouted through the hallway before the winged angel burst through his bedroom door, Sebastian not too far behind.

“Gah!” Ciel shrieked, sitting up abruptly. “What is the meaning of this?!”

The ground rumbled beneath them and Anna shook her head, spreading her wings wide. “There’s no time to explain it completely right now. You need to get out of here. It’s not safe here anymore for the time being,” she explained quickly as bright lights flashed outside as the ground shook again.

“The Phantomhive manor is being attacked by Ash,” Sebastian informed his master, “he’s having a full-out assault on the entire property. But rest assured, Anna’s protecting it right now using an angel barrier.”

“But if something should happen, I need you out of here,” the angel barked, “I’ve already placed Finny, Bard, Maylene, Tanaka and Adrian into a deep sleep, and Fang’s taking them to the townhouse in London right now. Sebastian, get Ciel out of here and to the townhouse until I give you some sort of signal that it’s safe.”

He bowed, picking up Ciel. “Understood,” he said.

“Oi, Sebastian!” Ciel hissed, barking at the rough handling of his butler. “Let me down!”

The demon shook his head. “Absolutely not,” he replied sternly. “You heard her. It’s no longer safe here at the manor for the time being. You must allow Anna to handle this.”

“Sebastian’s right,” Anna agreed, looking outside the window, her sword of light materializing in her right hand, blazing brightly.

“Anna,” Sebastian addressed, and she turned to him, only to have his lips press against hers. Then she found him staring into her azure eyes with hard red ones. “Be careful.”

She nodded. “Now come with me,” she urged as she slipped around the threshold. “I can only open up the barrier for a moment before I need to seal it off completely so I can retaliate against Ash before he tries anything.”

As they were heading out of the mansion, Anna was giving them quick instructions.

“After you get out,” she explained in a rush, “get as far away from here as possible. I have no idea what Ash is planning, and I’ll try to contain this as best I can. Sebastian, make sure Ciel is not harmed, and take him to the townhouse as soon as you can. Fang should already be there now to take care of the others, and I’ve told him to help you out if you need anything.”

“When can we expect to hear back from you?” Ciel implored.

The angel looked around cautiously. “I don’t know,” she responded honestly. “As soon as I can. I don’t know how long this battle may last. I’ll either go myself or I’ll send word to Sebastian through the Blood Contract or I’ll inform Fang through our bond. Rest assured though, I’ll definitely take care when I partake this battle, so I’ll try not to allow anything to happen to me.”

Sebastian didn’t look too convinced, but didn’t say a word in response.

 _Sebastian, I know you must be worried,_ Anna told him mentally as she navigated them carefully through the hallway, _even though you don’t show it. But I order you to protect Ciel. I knew that you were once a heartless, malicious demon who cared for nothing and no one and just feasted for souls, disposing of anyone who got in your master’s way. I need that Sebastian now; to protect Ciel. Forget about me._

 _But Anna,_ he began.

 _Please, Sebastian,_ she cut off pleadingly, not slowing her pace as they hurried to the front doors. _Do this for me. Protect Ciel, that’s an order._

As they stopped at the front doors, Anna carefully listening outside, Sebastian held Ciel with one arm, grabbing Anna and whirling her into his kiss of passion, and her hand rested on his cheek for a moment before pulling away with a kind smile.

“Don’t worry, Sebastian,” she assured. “I promise I’ll take care of myself.” Then she looked down at Ciel. “Be careful Ciel, I’m sure that Ash may also be after you because of what happened last time. Sebastian will take care of you, and I’ll take care of Ash if he tries to follow you or anything. Don’t worry, I’ll protect the Phantomhive Manor well. Sebastian, you be careful too. If things are going to go the way I think they are, even a demon like you isn’t safe.”

The butler was taken aback at her sudden declaration, and she smiled at him. Sebastian’s worries only grew, knowing that there was a huge risk for Anna as well if even _he_ himself was in danger. But with this worry came a new discovery. Sebastian never realized that he was so strongly in love with the angel. When he had made a Contract with Ciel Phantomhive, he swore to devote his body and soul to him. But now… if Ciel was to order him to kill Anna or allow her to die… Sebastian had no idea what he would do.

Carefully, Anna creaked open the door before motioning Sebastian and Ciel out. Ciel looked up and saw that the entire Phantomhive Estate was being covered by a huge glowering orange dome: an angel’s barrier.

“Hurry up!” Anna called as she flew to the edge of the barrier.

Sebastian and Ciel arrived at the edge of the barrier with her, and she looked up. Above the barrier, Ash was flying overhead, circling the dome with a great fury burning in his eyes, his sword glowing with strong angel powers. His eyes met Anna’s, and she narrowed her gaze before turning back gravely to Sebastian and Ciel.

“Remember, don’t stop till you reach the townhouse,” she reminded urgently, “wait there until I contact you.”

She poised her sword at the barrier before thrusting it forward, the light piercing into and through, creating a door to the outside.

“ _GO!_ ” Anna shouted, and Sebastian dashed through, immediately taking his young master into the forest as Anna flew up to fight Ash, the barrier reclosing around the Phantomhive Estate as both angels became bright lights battling it out in the skies.

 

Sebastian and Ciel were pretty deep into the forest when Ciel decided to say something.

“Sebastian, stop,” he demanded, “put me down.”

The demon blinked as he came to a halt, putting the young earl onto his feet. Back in the direction of the manor, loud booms that could easily been mistaken as thunder rumbled.

“What is it, Young Master?” Sebastian implored.

“I order you to go help Anna,” Ciel ordered, “she’s no use to me dead. And having an angel by my side may help later on when we get into a little more trouble.”

The butler smiled. “My, my,” he teased, “are you showing compassion towards Anna, Young Master?”

Ciel scoffed. “Not at all,” he retorted briskly, “I just don’t want someone who may be useful to me killed so early in the game. Now don’t make me repeat myself.”

Sebastian bowed. “Yes, My Lord.”


	15. The Angel, the Demon, and the Dog

Anna barrelled forward, crashing into the archangel with a white-hot fury, her sword of light blazing brightly as she had transformed into the angelic knight that she was. Pure white battle robes that looked like it had been made with an Eastern touch hugged her body, her hair tied up in a tight messy bun as she thrust her sword forward at Ash.

“Why won’t you allow these pathetic humans to die, Anna?!” Ash screeched at her. “We could start this world anew!”

Dodging his advance on her, she flew back, beating her wings once to keep herself afloat. “You truly _are_ a fool,” she scolded, “do you _honestly_ believe that humankind would differ any way from how they are now? All you would be doing is taking away millions of innocent lives.”

“Of course _you_ would think that way,” the archangel hissed with a smirk, “you _were_ once human, were you not? A beautiful young woman heavily burdened before being burnt at the stake.”

Anna’s eyes narrowed before blazing golden, and she threw two balls of white fire from her palm at the angel, blue lightning crackling around it.

“Hmph,” Ash smirked, unimpressed as he sent two in return, the fires crashing in brilliant white sparks and smoke, blurring the area. “You’re going to have to do better than that.”

But what he _wasn’t_ aware of was that he had lost sights of the angel in the smoke. Sensing the sudden presence of the angel behind him, he whirled around, but a moment too late as Anna’s blade just slashed against his side, drawing blood.

“Why you-?!” Ash broke off at seeing Anna’s confident smirk before she focused a ball of white flames and electricity in her hand before thrusting it against Ash’s chest.

 _BOOM!_ A tremendous explosion rattled the earth as Ash was sent spiralling back into the ground, tendrils of smoke trailing from burns on his formally-white suit. Anna cleared away the smoke easily with a few beats of her wings, looking down at the unharmed Phantomhive manor grounds, noticing a familiar black-clad butler standing by the edge of the barrier.

“Sebastian!” Anna shouted, soaring down to greet him. “What are you doing here? I ordered you to take care of Ciel and-“

“I did,” he interrupted, “the Young Master is perfectly safe right now. You clearly only made a suggestion to take him to the townhouse at post haste.”

She groaned, shaking her head, glancing at the slowly-recovering Ash.  “It’s still not safe,” she said, “now what in the world are you doing here?”

“The Young Master ordered me to help you,” Sebastian informed her.

Anna grimaced. “While I appreciate the offer, I’m perfectly fine in taking care of myself for the moment,” she replied.

His eyes scanned her over. “On that note,” he began, “what on earth are you wearing?”

“Ah yes, this,” she said, glancing herself over. “Angel battle robes but I kinda liked having an Eastern touch to it. It’s very comfortable and easy to move around in, so it’s efficient in such dangerous situations. Anyway, get out of here, Sebastian. I don’t need the help.”

He smiled. “The Young Master insisted,” he reasoned, and she sighed, shaking her head.

Ash was getting onto his feet, brushing off debris, dirt, and dust from his formally-white suit.

 _ARHOO!_ Anna glanced towards the forest as a howl filled the air. “Hmm…” she muttered, waving a glowing hand over herself, and a split image of the angel appeared. “Ciel’s in danger. My image will distract Ash for a short while, but not for too long. Come Sebastian, let’s go.”

 

Ciel looked at his surroundings, hearing one loud boom come from the direction of the manor, and the ground shook beneath his feet.

“Hmph,” Ciel snorted, sitting down on a large protruding tree root, crossing one leg over the other as his arms folded across his chest.

 _I wonder how much longer they’re gonna need,_ he wondered. _Hopefully it’ll be done before the party in a few days._

 _ARHOO!_ A howl rang through the air, and Ciel leaped to his feet, whirling around as paws hit the ground hastily as something sped towards him.

“Young Master,” Sebastian addressed as he and Anna arrived.

“What _is_ that noise, Sebastian?” the young earl demanded, “What’s coming?”

“Hold on,” Anna said, “I recognize this.” Easily, she curled her fingers by her lips to let out a high-pitched whistle that echoed for a moment before the paws quickened, a happy bark filling the air.

“Is that-?!” Ciel broke off, recognizing that familiar bark.

Before he could finish, a huge light blue demon dog bounded out from the trees and towards Anna, a crazed joy in its dark red eyes before it transformed into a tiny puppy version of itself before leaping up into the angel’s arms.

“Pluto,” she said cheerily, hugging the demon dog to her, “what are you doing here? I told you to stay back in your forest home until I sent for you.”

“But Pluto is _dead_ ,” Ciel tried to reason, mostly to himself. “Finny, Maylene and Bard killed him.”

Anna smiled, shaking her head. “Close to death, but not completely,” she explained as the dog licked her face affectionately. “I saved him and took him in afterwards while allowing the rest of you to believe that he was dead. And I’ve given him a third form as well; the form of a tiny puppy.”

Sebastian’s eye twitched for a moment in slight jealousy of how close the demon dog was to the angel, then relaxed as Anna put him down. Pluto transformed back into his huge true form, and Anna rested a hand on his muzzle.

“Now, I want you to take Ciel and Sebastian safely to the townhouse, okay?” she instructed. “I’ve already taught you that Ash and or Angela are bad people, so you don’t listen to them, okay? You only listen to me.”

Pluto nodded his head, laying down on his paws as she pet him.

“Why would you revive a demon dog?” Ciel implored.

The angel smiled as she turned to the young earl. “Even though he _is_ a demon dog, he is still but only a pup,” she reasoned. “Under the nurturance of Angela, he was taught to obey at all times, under both normal control and by a collar. The blood one is borne with won’t tell whether a person is good or bad. Everyone deserves a second chance, so why not Pluto?”

Sebastian couldn’t help but smile. Though he did not fully comprehend her reasoning, it was the compassionate side of her that bewitched him.

“Ugh…” Ciel groaned, disgusted as he turned away. “Whatever. Has Ash been taken care of?”

Anna withdrew her hand from Pluto’s snout. “I have to go back,” she announced, “Pluto will be your guard as you all head to the townhouse in London. I’ll join you as soon as I can.”

Without another word, the angel took flight, and Sebastian smiled after her before Pluto licked his face, instantly irritating the demon.

“Let’s get out of here,” Ciel hissed. “Prepare some red tea when we arrive, Sebastian.”

 

Anna tackled Ash, pinning the archangel to the ground.

“Leave here, Ash,” she hissed at him, “you’ll never win. As I speak, Sebastian and Ciel are getting as far away as they can. They’re out of your reach, and the other angels have been alerted of your activities ever since I branded you a few days ago.”

He glared at her before furiously throwing her off, and she skidded back a few feet before stopping, leaping forwards to stab her blade at the opposing angel, and he blocked it with his own.

“You’re a fool, Anna,” he chuckled.

She smiled. “I don’t think so,” she said as she twisted her blade down into the ground, stepping back a few feet before a huge dome of golden orange light surrounded Ash. “You’ve fallen into my trap, Ash.”

The fallen angel’s eyes widened with sudden anger and hatred as he threw himself at the angel barrier in an attempt to break it, but to no avail. Anna stared emotionlessly at the angel, her hands by her sides.

“What has made you into this, Ash?” she asked softly. “You were once a brave, strong angel that really wanted to come to Earth to see what the world was through the eyes of the humans. And now… you long to be the annihilator of them. Why?”

“Because I saw their taint; their filth,” he spat acidly. “They must all pay for their sins.”

Anna closed her eyes, inhaling deeply as she raised her arms, the orange dome around Ash rising and levitating the angel into the air, trapped within a ball of orange.

“W-What are you doing?!” he demanded in a howl.

The angel opened her eyes, her pupils glowing silver. “Ending this battle,” she said softly. “Goodbye, Ash, for the last time.”

Without warning, another sharp blade pierced from Anna’s back and through her chest, and the angel coughed, blood dripping from her lips. She glanced behind her to see another winged angel twisting the blade.

“A-Angela?” Anna breathed, “I-Impossible!”

As Angela yanked the blade from her body, Anna stepped back a few steps as blood splattered on the ground, a hand over the wound. She was lucky that the blade that had stabbed her was a normal human-made sword, otherwise that wound would have proven to be fatal. However, Ash was free from Anna’s broken concentration and he dropped down next to Angela.

“This just doesn’t make sense,” Anna murmured in confusion. “The two that was one… became two? How? _Why_?”

The angels smirked.

“We found the secret to separating into two individual beings,” Ash cackled. “But that secret will remain a secret. And you’re going to die. Against _two_ angels, you don’t stand a chance.”

Anna closed her eyes, feeling a quick warm light seal her wounds, if only temporarily. She brushed the blood away from her lips, and she refocused on the two angels, nevertheless, her vision was still a little blurry from the rapid blood loss.

“Now die!” both Ash and Angela shouted as they lunged for Anna, angelic blades poised at her.

She leaped back just in time but fumbled to the ground.

 _Not good, not good,_ she thought as she tried to get up on her feet. _Gotta survive._

“ _Anna!_ ” several voices shouted in unison, and Anna looked up to see a bright light shine down on her from above before three angels flew down by her side.

“Michael! Kieran! Alisha!” Anna gasped.

Alisha smiled, flicking back her long brown braided hair as her sword hand twitched. “Need some help, Anna?” she implored rhetorically, her light green eyes sparkling mischievously.

Michael kneeled down next to Anna. “Kieran, take care of Ash! Alisha, take Angela!” he shouted at them.

“Got it,” Kieran responded, glaring at Ash with hard chestnut eyes. “Take care of Anna.”

Immediately, the angels engaged in a huge battle, and Michael wrapped his wings around both him and Anna protectively.

“M-Michael, what are you doing here?” she demanded.

“We sensed angel activity coming from the Phantomhive Manor,” he explained as he held Anna’s hands, transferring his healing powers to her, warming her body and sending magic tingles fluttering all inside her. “We went to check the brand tracker, and there were two accounts of the brand you had placed on Ash. We knew something was up and immediately came here to help you out.”

She smiled as he held her against him. “Thank you,” she whispered softly, closing her eyes as she let herself fall into a short trance. “Thank you.”

Michael smiled down at her, hugging her tighter. “I know that you love that demon Sebastian,” he said softly, “and it’s okay. I will love you anyway, because you’re the only angel that I hold dear to my heart.”

 

Sebastian, Ciel, and Pluto arrived at the Phantomhive townhouse in London, where they were greeted by its caretakers Prince Soma and his servant Agni.

“A-Agni! W-What in the world is _that_?!” Soma gasped.

“No idea,” Agni responded somewhat calmly, “but if Mr. Sebastian and Lord Ciel are friends with it, you should be fine.”

Ciel was let down by Sebastian and the earl looked at them.

“Pluto is a demon hound,” Ciel answered. “He won’t hurt anyone unless he’s ordered to.”

“A-A demon _what?!_ ” the Indian prince gasped, incredulous.  

Sebastian bowed. “Let’s go inside and I’ll make something that might ease you, Young Master,” he offered, looking at the other servant. “The other servants are here already, right?”

Agni nodded. “They were in a carriage, and they were all asleep. Miss Anna’s cat was in there too,” he said. “They’re all inside right now, and the servants have been put to bed.”

Ciel sighed heavily, “Let’s go inside. I’m tired. Sebastian, make some tea.”

“Understood,” the demon butler responded, and took a quick glance back in the direction of the Phantomhive Manor where deep in his heart he hoped that Anna was okay. But of course, he would never, _ever_ tell that to anyone. He was, after all, one hell of a butler.


	16. Preparations

Fang was nervously pacing back and forth by the fireplace while Ciel and Soma were seated by the coffee table. Kylee flicked her tail as she lay on her paws by Fang, staring at the cat worriedly. She could tell that he was concerned for his owner.

“By the way,” Soma said in curiosity, “where is Anna? I thought that all of the Phantomhive servants would be coming.”

Sebastian bowed. “Miss Anna is currently taking care of the Phantomhive Manor in the Young Master’s absence,” he lied fluently. “However, she may be joining us later.”

“It _is_ quite early in the morning, Prince Soma,” Agni said, “perhaps we should continue this discussion after you get some rest. I’m sure Master Ciel also feels the same.”

Ciel dipped his head. “Sebastian,” he said.

“Of course,” the butler replied automatically. “I’ll prepare you for bed.”

 

“Sebastian,” Ciel addressed sternly as he sat in bed, “wait outside for Anna’s return tonight. Perhaps she’ll return soon to inform us the security of the Phantomhive Estate.”

The butler bowed. “Yes, My Lord,” he obliged.

“And another thing too,” he continued, “how attached have you become to Anna?”

“Rather very, Young Master,” Sebastian replied honestly. “However, that will still not get in the way of protecting you, of course.”

Ciel’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “That had better be true,” he threatened.

“Why of course,” the butler replied in amusement, “I do not lie.”

The earl scoffed as he laid down, his head resting on the white pillow. “Keep your relationship simple and professional, Sebastian,” he ordered as he pulled the covers over him. “I do not want to hear rumours of the Phantomhive butler and maid having a secret affair. Do _not_ tarnish my family name further than it already is, Sebastian.”

“Understood,” he stated with a curt bow.

“And if you do,” Ciel threatened additionally, “I may just order you to dispose of her yet, Sebastian. Don’t think that the thought hasn’t crossed my mind yet, and you are my butler. As abided by the Contract, you are to obey _all_ of my orders, no matter what they are.”

Sebastian’s eyes hardened, but he bowed. “Of course, Young Master, I understand. I bid you goodnight, Young Master. Sleep well.”

 

Late that night, Sebastian sat on the roof –as ordered by Ciel, until Anna’s return. Fang lay on the roof beside the demon, worried. Pluto was in his puppy form and was asleep on the front steps of the townhouse.

 _“I hope she’s alright,”_ Fang said. _“She hasn’t contacted me or anything yet.”_

“She’ll probably be fine,” Sebastian assured. “She’s an angel, right?”

They saw a lonely white figure enter through the gates of the townhouse, and both recognized it to be Anna!

 _“Anna!”_ Fang gasped.

Immediately both demon and angelic cat leaped down to greet her, and she stumbled precariously towards them before falling forwards into Sebastian’s awaiting arms.

 _“Are you alright, Anna?”_ Fang demanded.

“Y-Yes,” she replied shakily as Sebastian sat her up against his shoulder. “Nothing a little sleep won’t fix.”

“May I ask what happened, Anna?” Sebastian implored calmly, “Have you disposed of Ash?”

Anna sighed heavily in exhaustion. “It’s a long story,” she told them. “Ash and Angela have become two separate entities now, instead of one hermaphrodite angel.”

 _“What?!”_ Fang demanded.

“Why don’t we talk about this tomorrow with the Young Master?” Sebastian suggested. “You’re clearly exhausted, Anna, and you should get some rest.”

She smiled tiredly. “That would be nice, yes,” she agreed. “It’s been a long night for all of us.”

“You’ve done well,” he assured her. “The Phantomhive Estate is safe and sound, correct?”

Anna nodded. “I don’t think Ash or Angela should be coming back anytime soon.”

“Then the rest can wait,” Sebastian said, lifting her into his arms. “Come, let’s put you to bed.”

Fang floated up to Anna’s level as they went to one of the servant rooms. _“Were you injured at all during the fight?”_ he implored worriedly.

“Yes,” she said, “but it’s healed already. Don’t worry.”

Arriving in the room, Sebastian set Anna down on the bed, pulling the covers over her. “Now rest,” he told her. “I will tend to the Young Master if deemed necessary, and I’ll alert you if there is anything wrong.”

“Good night, Sebastian,” Anna sighed as Fang curled up next to her.

He smiled, leaning down to plant a soft kiss on her lips. “Good night, my angel,” he whispered, eyes staring deeply into hers.

As he closed the door behind him, he chuckled darkly, “Well… now to get ready for tomorrow’s preparations.”

 

The next morning, Ciel was woken up by light pouring onto his face from the outside.

“Good morning, Young Master,” Sebastian greeted, tying up the curtains. “Last night, Anna returned. The mansion is safe and sound. However, she has quite a story to tell us, it seems. She’s still asleep, as are the other servants, so I’ll have her speak to you later privately. Shall we prepare to return to the estate?”

“It would be far too suspicious if we just left this morning,” the young earl responded, grumbling, “Soma and Agni may be idiotic, nevertheless, they _will_ question our late arrival and early departure. We can’t rouse any suspicions. We have no choice but to stay here for at least another day.”

After Sebastian got Ciel dressed, there was a soft knock on the door.

“Come in,” Ciel called, and the door creaked open to reveal Anna dressed in her maid outfit, looking a little tired, her hands folded in front of her. Fang and Kylee padded in beside her.

“Good morning, Ciel,” she greeted softly. “I’m sure Sebastian must have already told you that I arrived during the night.”

The earl nodded. “Sebastian said you had quite a story to tell,” he retorted. “Has Ash been dealt with?”

“Not… exactly, no,” the angel replied awkwardly, closing the door behind her. “Ash and Angela have been separated. I don’t know why, but they’re two separate beings now. I was attacked by both of them. It was a miracle that I was saved by Michael and the others just in time.”

 _“What?!”_ Fang meowed in alarm.

She dipped her head. “Michael, Kieran, and Alisha came to save me,” she informed gently. “Michael healed my wounds while Kieran and Alisha fought Ash and Angela. I’m okay though, so don’t worry. Just a little tired still, but that’ll pass.”

Sebastian walked over to pat her on the head. “You could have slept in a little more,” he said. “I can take care of the Young Master.”

Anna shook her head. “As a maid of the Phantomhive household,” she stated, “where would I be if I couldn’t work for my employer?”

The demon butler chuckled, and Anna smiled, looking at Ciel. “Now… Ciel, there’s something that I’d like to give to you,” she said. “It might prove to be useful to you in the times to come.”

Closing her eyes, she took out a beautiful jewelled curved dagger from her pocket, presenting it to Ciel on one knee. The hilt was studded with small colourful jewels, and it didn’t appear to be used particularly for fighting, rather as a decoration perhaps.

“The Dagger of Light, an item that can only be used in times of great need,” the angel announced. “You will most likely need this in the times to come, however, I only hope that you need not actually _use_ it, and that Sebastian and I will be there to protect you.”

Ciel reached out to touch the dagger, and immediately once his skin touched the cool blade, it vanished in a flurry of golden sparks.

“What the hell is this?” the young earl demanded.

She chuckled as she stood up. “It will appear to you in your time of great need,” she told him. “But it remains undetected as a way to protect you and so that this weapon remains concealed.”

“But where _has_ it disappeared to?” Sebastian implored curiously.

“Where indeed?” Anna responded thoughtfully with a smile.

“LITTLE CIEL!” Soma’s voice boomed as the prince ran into the room, Agni close behind. Then he paused in his tracks as he noticed Anna. “Ah… your maid has come too? How come you didn’t arrive with the others last night?”

She bowed with a smile. “I had duties that kept me back at the manor, so I didn’t arrive until late last night,” she said, confirming what Sebastian had said just the night before.

“So… why were you all suddenly coming here to London without any notice and so late?” Soma implored. “Did you miss me _that_ much?”

“As if,” Ciel scoffed. “Just felt like intruding.” He smiled cleverly. “I was wondering how you’d react to my sudden ‘intrusion’ of my own townhouse.”

Anna looked outside, and it seemed that something caught her attention. Sebastian and Fang followed her gaze to see what had attracted her gaze, and they both saw Michael standing outside with a white envelope in his hand, and the angel’s gaze was met squarely with Anna’s.

Fluently, she bowed deeply. “Please excuse me for a moment,” she excused, quickly leaving the room, Fang following behind.

 _“What is he doing here for?”_ Fang implored.

“I don’t know,” she answered, “but I’m sure we’re about to find out.”

 

“Hello, Anna,” Michael greeted gently as the angel he loved came out to greet him.

“Hey, Michael,” she replied. “What are you doing here?”

He offered her out the letter with pained eyes. “This is for you from the Council,” he told her, “they’re growing concerned about your relationship with the demon Sebastian Michaelis. But I’m not sure whether this letter is related or not.”

Anna blinked, accepting the letter and opening it. Her eyes hardened as she read it, and she took a deep breath before the letter disintegrated in her palm with a ball of soft blue fire. “Very well,” she sighed. “That letter was completely unrelated to my relationship with Sebastian, in fact. It was a letter requesting that I return to Heaven instead of completing my mission of which I am no longer required to fulfill. At least… until the time that Ash, Angela, and the Greater Demon that marked me have been dealt with.”

“Well… their worry is warranted, don’t you think?” Michael tried to reason, “I’m worried too.”

She smiled weakly, reaching up to cradle his cheek in her palm. “I know you are, Michael,” she said, “and I’m sorry for causing you to worry about me.” She kneeled down to pick up Fang in her arms, stroking his soft fur. “And I know you’ve been worried too. But I can protect myself, and I know that you, Fang, as well as Sebastian, will be here to take care of me and protect me.”

 

After Anna and Fang returned inside, they were met up with Sebastian, who had apparently been sent to fetch them.

“I trust everything is alright, Anna?” he implored calmly, and even though he didn’t show it, Anna knew that he too, was a little worried.

“Fine, Sebastian,” she assured quietly. “When will we be departing back to the mansion?”

“Tomorrow,” he answered as they went to tend to the young Earl Phantomhive, “and in a few days, we will be attending Lord Druton’s ball. I trust you will be ready?”

The angel sighed, “I hope so, Sebastian. I hope so.”


	17. Closer to the Truth

“Well… tonight’s the night,” Anna sighed, “why am I doing this again?”

Sebastian neatly did the finishing bow on the white rose choker around her neck before smiling at her. “You’re going to have to catch Lord Druton’s attention, so you must look more beautiful than you usually do,” he answered.

“Oh you’re such a joker, Sebastian,” she chuckled, looking herself over in the mirror, dressed in a gorgeous white strapless gown, complimenting her silver-white hair and bright azure eyes. Her hands were dressed with long white gloves that reached her elbows, and Sebastian brushed her hair, the soft texture of the strands feeling almost like silk. Crystal earrings dangled from her earlobes, and her lips were rosy red.

“I do not lie, Anna,” the demon reminded. “You look absolutely ravishing.”

The angel’s cheeks reddened slightly in embarrassment, obviously flattered by his comment. “T-Thank you,” she replied. “I just hope that this will be enough.”

“Of course,” he assured. “Who would not appreciate the company of a beautiful angel such as yourself?”

She rolled her eyes. “That’s only you,” she argued, “and that’s only because you love me. You’re complimenting me a _little_ too much, Sebastian. It’s quite eerie, in fact. What is it you want from me?”

“Nothing, really,” he answered as innocently as possible. “Just don’t do anything stupid that could put the Young Master in danger, not to mention cause me unnecessary trouble.”

“Ha,” she smirked, “right. Don’t worry. I’m only doing what Ciel needs me to do, which is do a little investigating of where Lord Druton’s son Anthony could possibly be.”

Sebastian continued to brush her hair before lifting a few strands of her hair and pressing it to his lips. “I’ll be there to protect you, Anna,” he added with a smile. “Oh yes, that reminds me.” He pulled an emerald ring from his coat pocket and slipped it onto her finger. “As long as you wear this ring, I will know wherever you are and know the condition you may be in.”

“Thanks,” she said, looking at the ring. “I’m not sure how handy it may come in though. As how you describe it, it kinda makes me think of the Blood Contract. Are you sure I need it?”

He pressed his lips against her forehead. “Believe me when I say that this will protect you,” he murmured softly. “I have the other of the pair on me myself. These two rings serve as a bond, and it will protect you.”

She smiled at him. “Well… you don’t lie,” she said, “so I believe you… for the time being, anyway. Nevertheless, is there something you’re not telling me, dear?”

Demonic eyes flashed with a little playfulness. “I’m afraid so,” he said with a wide and innocent smile.

Anna sighed, rolling her eyes. “Well… I trust your loyalties to both me and Ciel, therefore, I trust that you won’t place me in an _unnecessary_ danger.”

“Unnecessary danger, yes,” he agreed. “Perhaps some necessary danger though…”

Again, she sighed, shaking her head before she did a little twirl before the mirror in her crystal white slippers, satisfied with her look. “Well…” she decided, “I’m as ready as I’ll ever be. Now… I trust Ciel is already ready?”

Sebastian nodded, pulling out his pocket watch and looking at it for a moment. Putting it back in his pocket, he placed only an inch of distance between them before pressing his lips lightly against hers. Kissing back softly, they stayed like that for a few moments before Anna pulled away, pressing her forehead against his.

“I love you, Sebastian,” she sighed, “and I fear that it may eventually become my undoing.”

He chuckled darkly, “As my love for you will become mine.”

“So we’re both doomed, you think?” Anna implored.

Pulling away, he smiled. “Aren’t _I_ supposed to be the dark one?” he teased, his mouth travelling down her neck to her collarbone. “I _am_ , as you say, a ‘dark, sadistic jerk’, correct?” He bit lightly on her skin, and she gasped in exhilaration.

“Okay, okay,” she said, pushing him off her, rubbing her neck. “I get your point. Stop teasing me. Anyway, shall we get going?”

The demon butler smiled, bowing slightly as he offered his arm to her. “Of course, My Lady.”

 

“There he is,” Ciel Phantomhive said, glaring at the lord in question.

Lord Gareth Druton was a tall, slim man with dark, fair hair, and piercing onyx eyes on a long, narrow face. He wore rectangular glasses and was dressed in a simple, dark brown two piece suit. He seemed a simple man with little secrets, however, everyone knew that even though he seemed to place a fairly happy façade, he was deeply troubled and worried about his son.

“Seems harmless enough,” Sebastian speculated, “however, of course, you know better, don’t you, Young Master.”

He nodded. “Anna should be making her entrance any moment now,” he announced, “you know what to do.”

As if on cue, Anna proceeded elegantly into the ballroom, a mask of cheer and peace on her face. A single white rose was tucked into her hair, and she caught the glances of many of the men in the room, including Lord Druton’s. The angel strode over to Ciel and Sebastian, curtseying politely.

“Good evening, gentlemen,” she greeted teasingly.

“You look gorgeous, Lady Anna,” Sebastian said, kissing the back of her hand.

Ciel’s eye twitched. “Are you wearing a corset, Anna?” he implored. When she nodded, he sighed in irritation, “How in the world do you wear that thing without feeling that your organs are going to be squeezed out?”

She chuckled, shaking her head. “Now, I have Fang keeping survey of the party outside, and he’s also patrolling on the roof,” she explained quickly. “He knows what to do if anything should go wrong. First, we’ll need to make sure that we are able to draw Lord Druton’s attention. Then I’ll do my best to get as much information as I can from him.”

“Unfortunately, the Young Master’s dancing proficiency is still less than satisfactory,” Sebastian noted, and Ciel flushed in embarrassment.

“I’m afraid I have to agree,” Anna sighed, “all those dancing lessons Sebastian and I gave you didn’t seem to help one bit. Why can’t you dance like Sebastian?”

“It’s not _my_ fault!” Ciel snapped in annoyance.

Sebastian smiled at Anna. “Well… I guess that means it’s up to us, after all, we _did_ have an excellent chance to practice when we were giving demonstrations to the Young Master,” he said, bowing to her while offering out his hand to her. “May I have this dance, Lady Anna?”

She smiled, curtseying to him before placing her hand in his. “Why thank you,” she responded, allowing him to elegantly lead her onto the ballroom floor.

Moving into Sebastian’s arms, Anna reached up to rest a hand on his shoulder as his wrapped around her waist, pressing her right up against him. They were pressed up against each other much closer than the other couples, and Sebastian’s face was close to hers, allowing them to speak to each other clearly and easily.

“We are much closer than when we were practicing,” Anna told him quietly. “Do you think Lord Druton is going to notice or cut in or anything?”

He smirked. “Of course,” he replied confidently, “why _wouldn’t_ anyone refuse the chance to dance with such a charming angel like yourself?”

Anna chuckled, “You flatter me, Sebastian, however, if our efforts don’t work, then we might have to resort to more… dramatic actions.”

“That’s only _if_ we fail,” he reminded, “and I don’t ensure failure often.”

She smiled. “Well then,” she said, “shall we dance?”

“I thought we _were_ dancing,” he said, smiling in return.

“Well, time to get a little more serious, I suppose,” she sighed. “We need to dance elegantly so that we are able to hopefully end up having some word with Lord Druton by the end of this.”

As their dance came to an end, a hand tapped Sebastian’s shoulder, and both turned to see Lord Druton.

“Excuse me, Sir, but may I steal the lady for a dance?” he requested.

Sebastian bowed, fluently placing Anna’s hand in Lord Druton’s, and Anna curtseyed politely. Exchanging a glance with her, Sebastian left to return to Ciel’s side.

“You sure dance beautifully, My Lady,” Gareth Druton said, taking formal dance position. “What is your name?”

“Anna, My Lord,” she answered gently, secretly reading his emotions reflecting in his eyes.

Lord Druton found himself trapped within the angel’s azure eyes. “Well, Lady Anna,” he said, spinning her around in a circle, “you’re very light on your feet, I see. Are you here alone?”

“Ah, by no means,” she answered, “I am here with Earl Ciel Phantomhive, My Lord.”

As the dance came to a close, Lord Druton swept her away towards the sides before dropping his dance stance, taking her by the hand and leading her towards the outside balcony.

“You are a very attractive woman, Lady Anna,” he complimented, kissing the back of her hand.

She smiled. “Thank you,” she replied, “I’m sorry about your son’s disappearance.”

He nodded, the smile on his face dropping before pulling off a black rose from his rosebush. “May I?” he implored. When she gave her approval, he plucked the white rose from her hair before tucking the dark flower into her silvery-white hair.

“In truth, Lord Druton,” Anna said, “I’m one of the people investigating your son’s disappearance. Is there anything you could tell me that may be of use?”

Lord Druton seemed to hesitate, obviously uncomfortable around the subject. “Lady Anna, perhaps… would you like to come with me to somewhere more… private?” he requested. “There are a few documents regarding my son’s kidnapping that I’d like you to take a look at. Perhaps it will help.”

She nodded. “Thank you for your cooperation,” she told him.

Taking her by the waist, he led her away from the extravagant party towards the library chambers.

 _Sebastian, you still with me?_ Anna called through telepathy. _We’re heading over to the library chambers to inspect some documents._

 _I’m here, Milady,_ his voice echoed in her mind, _the Young Master and I will stay as close as we can if you should need our help. Are you still wearing that ring I gave you?_

Anna’s fingers brushed over the emerald gem sitting in a silver band on her finger. _Yes, I have it,_ she told him softly through the Blood Bond. _You still have yours too, I hope._

 _Of course,_ he responded. _As long as you don’t take it off, I will be alerted if something should happen to you. Naturally, I can also sense and track you through the Blood Bond if for some reason you lose your ring._

 _Okay, thanks, Sebastian,_ she mentally sighed, _I’ll let you know what I find. Will Ciel need the documents themselves?_

 _Well… let’s just see what these documents_ are _before the Young Master decides,_ Sebastian suggested. _Proceed with caution, though, Anna. Something tells me that Lord Druton may be a puppet for a much larger and greater power._

Anna couldn’t help but smile at his slight concern. _Thanks, Sebastian, I’ll keep that in mind._

“In here, Lady Anna,” Gareth Druton said, gesturing her inside the large dimly-lit study. “You’re not working with Scotland Yard, are you? I’ve been threatened not to deal with them.”

She shook her head. “I work under the orders of Earl Ciel Phantomhive, the Queen’s Watchdog,” she answered. “I have no dealings with Scotland Yard whatsoever, so there’s no need to fear.”

He seemed a little more relaxed, adjusting his glasses before walking over to his large wooden desk, shaking hands scrambling for several sheets of paper scattered all over the table. Neatly piling them together, he handed them to Anna, and she took a glance at it.

 _Hmmm… blackmail letter,_ she thought, _there’s not too much I can go on by this, but this writing style is quite old. Not to mention it just_ reeks _of a demon’s scent._

 _Perhaps the Greater Demon targeting you has some influence on this case,_ Sebastian suggested. _Can you recognize the writing?_

 _No,_ she answered. _There’s no signature either. I’m pretty sure that whoever is behind this is allied with a demon. This ordeal may not be over as soon as we think._

Flipping through the rest of the documents, Anna began to believe that they definitely needed to be checked by Ciel. She looked at Lord Druton. “May I borrow these for a little while, My Lord?” she implored.

He shook his head, taking them back. “S-Sorry, I-I can’t,” he replied. “Just letting you see them already is bad enough. But please… is there anything you can do to help me get my son back?”

“With what information I have, I’ll do everything I can,” Anna promised, assuring him with a kind smile. “Rest assured, Lord Druton, I will do my best. Well… shall we return to the dance party?”

Gareth nodded, and as she turned to walk out of the study, he called out to her.

“Um… Lady Anna?” he implored, and she turned around, “I-Is there a chance where I could speak to you again at a later date?”

Anna blinked, thinking about it.

 _It’s alright, Anna,_ Sebastian’s cool voice entered her mind, _The Young Master approves for Lord Druton to come to the Phantomhive Manor tomorrow morning._

“Will tomorrow morning be alright for you, Lord Druton?” Anna voiced. “I will be at the Phantomhive Manor.”

The man seemed deeply relieved and nodded, a half-forced smile returning to his face. “Thank you, Lady Anna,” he sighed gratefully. “Now let’s return to the dance party.”

 

“They should be returning soon, Young Master,” Sebastian informed. “How do you plan on getting information from Lord Druton tomorrow?”

Ciel scoffed. In fact he had no idea how he actually _was_ going to get information from him.  “I’ll figure it out tonight,” he admitted. “Or I could get Anna to do it too. Perhaps persuasion from an angel is easier than having me myself do it. It’s _far_ too troublesome.”

They saw Anna and Lord Druton re-enter the ballroom, and Anna curtseyed politely as he kissed her hand, his eyes radiating with gratefulness. Sebastian couldn’t help but force back a twinge of annoyance as he also kissed her briefly on the cheek before she returned to them.

“You must be very proud of yourself today, Anna,” Ciel commented crudely, “you’ve deceived a man and tricked him into coming to the Phantomhive Manor tomorrow. Isn’t that against your better judgement?”

She smiled. “On the contrary, Lord Phantomhive,” she said teasingly, “this is all for the greater good. Not to mention I’m not _actually_ deceiving him into anything. Everything I said was the truth. I _am_ working with the Earl of Phantomhive in the investigation of the disappearance of his son Anthony Druton. I’ve used no trickery of any sort, just an angel’s charms.”

Sebastian couldn’t help but chuckle. “Well… since our mission is done, Young Master,” he said, looking down at the young earl, “shall we return to the manor and prepare for tomorrow?”

Ciel dipped his head. “We shall leave at once.”

 

Immediately after they had returned to the Phantomhive Manor, Sebastian and Anna had tucked the Young Master into bed. Afterwards, Anna went out onto one of the balconies of the manor to admire the rose garden that Finny took good care of, still dressed in her elegant white dress, breathing in the cool night air, gazing up at the beautiful stars that littered the dark sky.

“Beautiful,” Sebastian commented as he came up behind her, his hands winding around her waist as he buried his face against her pale neck.

“I know,” she agreed, “it’s never seemed so peaceful this time of night like today. The roses are beautiful, there’s a warm breeze blowing, and everything is just so calm.”

His lips trailed along her neck up to blow softly in her ear, sending shivers down her spine. “I was talking about you,” he whispered, plucking out black rose that Lord Druton had set in her hair. Out of nowhere he pulled out a rose with petals of the deepest scarlet Anna had ever seen.

“Sebastian, it’s beautiful,” she said as he tucked the flower into her hair.

Very softly, the demon kissed her, pulling her arms around him before he began to sway side to side in an easy dance. Anna rested her head against his chest as they slowly danced in circles along the balcony, dancing to a song that only _they_ could hear.

“You must be careful, tomorrow, Anna,” Sebastian warned her. “If a greater demon is involved, then I will be able to do very little against it. You may be in deeper trouble than you need to be. I will be primarily focused on protecting the Young Master, so you cannot rely upon me for assistance.”

She nodded. “It’s alright,” she assured. “I can defend myself enough to get away, not to mention draw it away from you and Ciel if necessary.”

“Of course,” he chuckled, and she couldn’t really tell whether he was being sarcastic or not, but her hands tightened against his shirt, inhaling his warm scent deeply.

Suddenly, she stopped. “Sebastian,” she said firmly, “I know that this may be dangerous… for the both of us, not to mention the consequences could be catastrophic, but…” She looked up and met him straight in the eye. “I think… I _want_ you…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lemme know if you want me to post the rest! (Sorry got lazyyyyy... plus I'm not even sure if you guys like. D:)


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